The Sparrow's Burden
by Fuloqwam
Summary: A Teen Titans romance story. Shoujo-Ai stuff, be careful. (Final Update): Check out the author's notes at the beginning of Chapter 1, even if you don't want to read the story.
1. Dawning in Raven

Final Update: By request, I'm illustrating pictures for this story and posting them on my Deviant Art account. The cover pic is done and up, though it's not colored yet. There'll be a black and white illustration for each of the chapters, plus an ending pic. I'm not sure when I'll be done. It'll probably take a while, but you can see what I've got so far here: http/noeymcname. guess now is as good time as any to tell you I have no affiliation with Time Warner, DC Comics, or the Cartoon Network. I really have no idea if what I'm doing right now is even legal, so any lawyer-types should know that I have no money. If they still decide to sue, then I'll just plead ignorance.

Author-

PS: A friend of mine insists I tell you that I haven't seen the episode "Switched". It's true I haven't, but I don't see why you have to know. There are a lot of references to my favorite books, movies, and TV shows in this story. I'll buy a pretzel for whoever can find them all.

The Sparrow's Burden

1.  
Raven never wished the others a good-night whenever she retired for an evening. Tonight was no exception. She rounded the corner into the open doorway of her room. Her body ached as though it were put through a tremendous battle, and she found her focus soley on the tiny mattress positioned carefully in the corner of the room.

She shut the door behind her quickly, glancing to see that no one was watching from the hallway, as she always did. It was not as though Raven distrusted her fellow Titans, it was quite the opposite. But it was very much habitual to be generally suspicious of her surroundings. She had seen and experienced enough to know that there was not much outside her sancturarious room that could be relied upon completely. The Tower had been the subject of more than its fair share of sieges, and there was no telling when the very sky itself may fall.

Robin's combat exercises were growing more intense by the day. In the past, he used them to keep the group's already existing skills sharpened and ready. There was no more than an hour or so a day, after which, each Titan would retreat to whatever activity he/she felt suitable until the team was called to action. Once in combat, the group was expected to rely more on their supernatural abilities and teamwork rather than hardened training and technical prowess.

Now Robin seemed more severe as a leader. Ever since Slade, Robin had pushed them. Encouraged them to run just a little faster, hit a little harder, and reach a little further every day. Quickly and subtly, his ambition took shape. Combat practice had begun to take up most of the day, and Robin's friendly coachings and words of encouragement became a harsh boot camp. Being a Teen Titan had once been a job, now it was a lifestyle.

The results were showing on the battlefield. No question, the Titans were much more effective when fighting. Villains who once posed a serious opposition to the team now crumbled, ran, and oftentimes, unconditionally surrendered without much of a fight. So the results vouched for the training, and thus the training continued, and the training increased.

To those who thrived in such a situation, like Robin and Cyborg, they met the challenge head on. Robin's lack of any supernatural abilities and still growing body ensured he would reap the most rewards from a life of discomfort, and Cyborg seemed predisposed to hypothetical scenarios. Cyborg had always exercised constantly, ensuring he would always be bigger and more competent than the most able-bodied foe.

There was no denying what the team required of themselves when it came to being constantly placed into life or death situations. They had to be ready for anything, and when they weren't, had to be in a position to turn the tide in their favour. Robin had done a tremendous job in conditioning the team, and he never lost his demeanour of being approachable and a trusted friend.

But the Titans were kids. Their priorities should have been what they could discover for themselves, not what else was waiting to level Jump City or turn the group into squirrels. Being a superhero meant learning about what the world could produce on its' most terrible day, and then finding a way to stop it. It never should have been a job that fell soley on the underdeveloped shoulders of five teenagers.

"Robin has it wrong," Raven muttered, pulling her hood off her face. "He is preparing for a war that will not come." The young girl ran her hands in a soothing stroke down her hips. She knew they would be lead weights by morning, along with most of her upper body.

She stared out the arrow-shaped window above her bed's headboard. There were no clouds tonight, and the lights of the city were quite beautiful against the backdrop of stars. Raven stepped closer to the glass and strained to see the moon. She did, it was white and large. Raven attempted to transfer it to an image of a "resplendent shining jewel", as Starfire had described it, but only saw a large colourless dot. Now and again, Raven made an attempt to understand Starfire and see the world as she did. The Alien girl seemed so joyous, and never attempted to fane emotions. This puzzled Raven, and Raven knew that her reclusive nature and dark disposition puzzled Starfire. The two often attempted to build bridges, but their relationship had never moved beyond admirable respect or polite friendship.

Although with the affection that Starfire, at times of great emotion, showed towards even the most platonic associate, Raven was not sure if she could even handle how the Tamarainian girl would treat a best friend.

Raven pulled herself away from the window. She moved to the centre of the room and pointed her gaze towards the shadow-vailed corner to the right of the door. As much as she wanted to feel the soft pillow under her cheek, there was another daily chore that she alone could conduct.

Raven lowered herself to the ground and folded her legs. She took a moment to ensure her circulation was not disrupted by her position and began to regulate her breath. Her focus lay on the dark corner of the wall and her chests' constant pattern became the only movement through her body. With the next breath she took in, Raven allowed her eyes to close.

Slowly, the room she had once been sitting in began to break away. The walls around her retreated further and further into the distance until Raven was left sitting in a blank void. Raven did not open her eyes, however her breathing noticeably slowed.

The void began to break into a smoky haze and quickly took form. Underneath Raven, there floated a barren, rocky platform about twice the area of her room. Around her was darkness needled by a few bloodshot stars and what seemed to be red nebulas.

Raven opened her eyes and uncrossed her legs, fully aware that she, in fact, was still sitting in her room, unmoving. She straightened herself to her full height and routinely scanned the physical manifestation of her mind.

Her mind was immense, and it could only be growing. It had become impossible to completely patrol, but Raven usually felt when something was wrong, and knew exactly what to do to quell it. Any problem arose from an emotion, all of which had taken physical form in her mind, being out of place or restless. She meditated to enter her mental world and keep these emotions in check. Failure to do so would have unknown effects on her physical self.

Raven sighed. Things looked fine from where she stood, and she had not experienced anything to say that things were anything but. Of course, it would not hurt to look around and catch a problem before it surfaced. Raven began to focus her telekinetic powers upon her own body. Her feet lifted from atop the granular surface and she soared past it.

Raven increased the altitude of her flight and gently gazed down upon the terrain. There was not much to see. Large stone stages floating like thick clouds, and the occasional red-eyed crow darting past.

She did see something that caught her attention; Happiness. The pink-cloaked duplicate of Raven had drawn boxes in some dirt and was now playing hop-scotch. Upon noticing Raven fly overhead, she giggled and waved. As usual, Raven did not wave back and continued on instead. That emotion was not doing anything she was not supposed to be doing, thus Raven deemed it beneath her notice.

Concentrating her powers on herself made the gothic girl remember exactly how tired she felt. Satisfied, she started towards the portal that would bring her back to her body and end another day of meditation.

But something caught her eye before she could reach the stone arches. A distant glint to her left had appeared and seemed to be moving across the structure of her mind. Raven stopped and hovered, squinting to get a look at what the source of the light was. It did not seem hostile or intent on causing trouble, whatever it was. It seemed to simply transverse around, content on following a consistent and steady path.

No chances could be taken, Raven decided. At a somewhat increased speed than her patrol, she moved to investigate. The tiny star did not speed up or slow down, and did not react to Raven's change of course at all. As she drew closer, she saw that the glimmering light was not as distant as she initially thought. It began to take shape right away, and Raven was taken back at her first full sighting of the object: It was her.

It was an emotion, rather. One that had not existed before and looked very unlike the others. The cloak it wore was gleaming platinum, as was the leotard. They almost seemed to radiate light rather than reflect it. The face of the emotion had the same colour of makeup, something that Raven herself wore little of. Silver eyeshadow extended from the eyelid to the bottom of the eyebrow and lipstick helped give the would-be girl a face that was actually quite becoming.

The emotion was leisurely drifting, not looking like it had anywhere in particular to go. Raven stopped before crossing it's flight path and lingered. The silver girl then looked over and took first notice of Raven. It stopped in front of her just out of arms reach and the two inquisitively gazed for several moments. The emotion gave her master a trustworthy smile.

Raven began to speak. "What are . . . ?" The soceress was not really sure how to begin.

The emotion broke forward at the words, pulling back her cloak and swinging it violently at Raven's face. Raven was completely taken, and attempted to evade the supposed attack. The silver girl stopped, however, holding the inside of the drape close to Raven's eyes. Raven brought her guard down and cocked one eyebrow, not knowing what he was expected to do.

The girl did not move from her position and used her free hand to motion toward the open cloak. Raven advanced cautiously, staring at what appeared to be simply a cloth held open to look like a blank canvas. Then she saw something, as though looking at a magic-eye painting. As surely and steadily as she moved, the dim silhouette of a person began to grow clear as Raven drew closer.

Just as she thought she could properly identify the young man that came to be, the figure jumped from it's backdrop, encompassing her peripheral vision and became all that Raven saw. The image was horrifying, and Raven attempted to close her eyes but couldn't. A young man upon his haunches, battered and beaten. His head hung without any support from his neck, looking down his chest. Rising at an angle from the left side of his chest was a copper lance, pointed at both ends and exiting out his back.

Raven covered her mouth with her a shaking hand, both to keep from screaming and vomiting. The boy was all too familiar, the one who had saved her life on countless occasions. Raven began to scream.

As the room where her physical self had been meditating came charging back to it's full and correct form, Raven gasped and managed to let one word through her painfully clenched teeth.

"Robin!"

Raven: Using her telekinetic abilities to fly and hurl large objects at her enemies, Raven is a formidable addition to the Teen Titans. Her powers are drawn from the emotions she is forced to contain, and hers is a life of constant caution and control. Her emotions have taken physical form in her mind, and Raven is forced to meditate daily to keep them in check. Any unbalance is dangerous, and should Raven become too emotional, she puts herself and those close to her at risk.

Physically, Raven is a blandly attractive female. Her hair is thin and dark purple, her complexion so pale, she's almost grey. Her life of constantly fighting bad guys keeps her in excellent shape. Raven's uniform consists of a dark blue leotard, fully exposing her legs but covering her arms to her wrists. She is almost never seen without a heavy, navy-coloured cloak. The hood is usually draped over head, keeping her eyes in shadow. Her blue footwear is laceless and very modest. Hanging off her hip is an ornamental red-emerald chain belt.

Ravens' hefty job of controlling all her feelings forces her away from the other Titans, and makes her somewhat anti-social. She's a bit of a loaner, often retreating to her room and never allowing anyone to follow. Still, Raven considers the other members of the group close friends, and her loyalty is never questioned by them. Although she almost never laughs, she has a very dry sense of humour herself, and can unintentionally become the life of a party.


	2. Nurse Starfire

The Sparrows' Burden 

2.  
Starfire was not a girl who protested often, however Beast Boy had been ill for some time now, and she had grown weary of attempting to mend his dreary and sometimes frightening condition. The loud purging of air and constant repossession of nasal fluids made her uncomfortable.

"I do not understand," she had told him. "'Cold' is an atmosphere that our refrigerator produces and a word you often use to describe Raven. How could a boy,  
however remarkable, ensnare such a thing?"

"Star," Beast Boy sighed. "When I say I 'caught a cold', it means I've been infected by a virus."

Starfire gasped. She understood that there was much about Earth she still needed to learn, why such a terrible scenario was not projected to her until this time perplexed her. "A virus! How awful! Yet, you remain so calm." Starfire began pacing and gasping for air. Such an illness had befallen her friend, and she did not know with what remedy he could be treated. "You do not need to dawn such a brave persona, I will assist in your plight. Beast Boy, share with me please how to help you survive until tomorrow!"

The fuzzy green boy looked up curiously from his tea cup. Even draped in a thick blanket and with tissues containing unsanitary fluids littered around his proximity, he did not look as though he were dying. "Well," he smirked. "I guess some soup would be nice."

Starfire's eyes beamed with optimism. "Yes!" She clapped her hands as she spoke, unable to hide her relief that something could be done to help. "I shall fetch you hot broth that has seeped through a poultry's carcass." Starfire bolted out the door of the bedroom, much too fast to hear Beast Boy's calls that he had changed his mind.

Since then, Starfire had learned that the virus in question was not nearly as grave as she had initially feared. Beast Boy would recover in a short time with no permanent repercussions. Nevertheless she was on hand to help, even giving the young man a tiny brass bell which he could use to summon her from wherever she may have been in the tower. He had taken to the instrument quickly, and Starfire could not have predicted how many times the teenager would need his pillow readjusted or a story read. She was happy to do it, of course, but wondered how much of it needed to be done to assist his recovery.

Presently, Starfire was granting her now very dependent team-mate with a liquid gel that would allow him to rest more peacefully. He took the tiny capful of solution into his mouth and gave her a nod of thanks.

Beast Boy's face then suddenly began to scrunch together. "Ah . . ." he took a large breath of air. "Ah . . ." Now he brought his hands to his nose and tightly closed his eyes, bracing for the inevitable. "AHquack"

Starfire giggled as she looked down at the green duck that now occupied the bed. One symptom of this illness were sudden and tremendous expulsions of air. When these occurred, they often seemed to force Beast Boy to loose control of his ability to change into animal form.

The duck regained it's composure and quickly regained the shape of Starfire's friend. "Sorry, Star."

Again, Starfire laughed. "Forgiven, Beast Boy. I am only glad you did not take the form of a Hippopotamus again. Their nasal fluids are difficult to clean off the walls and ceiling."

Beast Boy blushed. Starfire knew he was grateful, but he may have been self-conscious about her seeing him in state of reduced control. Starfire started for the door, deciding now that Beast Boy would do well without company. She stopped,  
though, deciding to ask her friend a curious question.

"Beast Boy," The green lad looked toward her with affection. "How may I avoid obtaining such a botherful illness?"

"Well Star, a word of advice:" The girl leaned forward and listened intently. "If you're gonna spend your weekend outside, naked in a puddle . . ." Beast Boy quipped. "Remember that even if you think all the alcohol will kill the germs, it won't." With that,  
Beast Boy began to laugh, and Starfire came to realise it was a joke. She smiled politely and quietly left. Beast Boy often tried to make her laugh, and while she appreciated it,  
she often did not understand the humour behind his statements. Perhaps she must be in need of more time on Earth before comprehending such sophisticated comedy.

Starfire made her way to the Titan's lounge, where a large television and crescent-shaped sofa sat idle. No one was presently around to converse with, although she could hear the unmistakable din of Cyborg engaged in what he adamantly called a "work out". Starfire hardly saw what he did as work at all. To her understanding,  
Cyborg spent three hours a day picking up heavy things, and then putting them down.

It was such a beautiful evening and she wished to share it. But Beast Boy would be asleep presently, and Cyborg would not be pulled away from heavy objects to simply "talk". Robin was out in the city doing what he often enjoyed, being alone.

Raven had gone into her room, which Starfire had come to accept meant she would not be seen until morning. The Tamarainian sighed as she walked to the nearby window and gazed through. Such beauty, the stars and city. The waves of the harbour carried moonlight upon their shoulders. The moon itself provided light to those who sought to unveil themselves from darkness.

Starfire smiled, feeling the magic of the planet she would always call home. This was not a terribly poor way to spend the rest of her evening. She knew that she could stand here in complete contentment for hours. Starfire decided that is what she would do,  
until it was time to repose her tired body.

She watched for several minutes. Her peace was broken by the smallest of sights. Extending from atop the tower, a blue streak shot silently into Starfire's field of vision and towards the city. Starfire took notice and attempted to confirm what she had seen,  
however her vision was tardy. The object had vanished from sight, leaving the young girl with only a strong suspicion of what she had observed. "Raven?"

_Starfire: An extra terrestrial girl from the planet Tamaran, Starfire possesses the outerworldly abilities of flight, and is able to condense powerful amounts of energy into her hands which she can then discharge or throw for a devastating ranged attack. Starfire's powers seem to be inherent, and combined with sheer courage, she can turn the tide of the grimmest battle._

_Starfire is a stunning redhead, although she seems to be unaware of her own beauty. Her Tamarainian biology gives her appearance a few differences from the girls of Earth, such as an orangish skin tone and a somewhat slimmer build. Her eyes glow with a green aura when her adrenaline or temper rises. Starfire's uniform is slightly on the racy side, mostly purple, with a short skirt ending her visible midriff. A matching tanktop extends just past her sternum, with a silver fitting of armour covering her collar and lower neck _

_Raven withholds all emotion, and Starfire gushes it. When she's happy, she's euphoric, when she's scared, she's terrified, and when she's anxious, she's panicked. She can't stand to see people argue, and will to whatever it takes to settle disputes. Starfire still retains great innocence and naiveté because many of Earth's customs don't make sense to her. This can surface in awkward ways, such as mistaking a bottle of mustard for a beverage, or suggesting pickles and bananas as pizza toppings. Even though Starfire is highly emotional and easily rattled, she won't hesitate to charge into battle, especially when her friends are in danger. Thanks to her unbridled displays of affection, it's no secret Starfire sees the Teen Titans as her home and family._

The boy was athletic, no question. His movements atop the city rooftops easily matched that of an Olympic gymnast. But the suit he wore and the equipment he carried gave him a quantum-leap over other athletes. The dark mask he wore was built jam-packed with microchips, fiberoptics and the most advanced technology the world was yet to see. The function he used now was a form of night vision. The boy now leapt high above the street lights, and a misplaced jump could prove fatal. Night vision seemed like a necessity.

But the boy was no pro athlete, nor did he aspire to be. The boy was a guardian, a solider of the city and striving to be a leader.

His foot came to the edge of the parking structure and Robin torpedoed himself off. "Whahoo!" The exuberance in his voice was exceeded only by the grin across his face as he completed two full airial somersaults. Robin opened up his body to slow his rotation and glanced downwards to the road. He was at least twelve stories high, which made the same difference to the boy wonder as three or a hundred. His fist came above his head, and with a jolt of compressed C02, out shot a crescent disk, pulling behind it an extending steel chord. The disk fasten itself to a nearby building and, using tiny titanium fibers, held itself in place. With a small flinch of his wrist, the cord retracted and quickly pulled him towards the point of impact. Robin was then easily able to swing himself to the top of the next roof and continue with his exercise.

Robin had led the team in combat practice earlier in the day, and he was ready for a rest. But as much as he enjoyed being with the other Teen Titans, sometimes he just needed to get out and away. Tonight was one of those nights, a night he just needed to think.

What was he doing? Lately he had been pushing the team past all of their limits,  
and he wasn't even sure why. Slade was gone. No other opponent had been able to organise themselves against the Titans with the class which he had. Couldn't they slow down? Hadn't the group earned a rest?

Robin chuckled to himself. At least Beast Boy was getting some down time. It was amazing how something so simple as a common cold could take all the fight out of you. Robin had thought about sending Beast Boy in to get medical treatment to speed up his recovery, but didn't know what type of doctor would handle such a case. Beast Boy's physiology would be just plain baffling. Any physician looking at him would have to have every conceivable type of veterinarian standing by for reference.

Robin made another jump and landed atop a nineteenth century cathedral. For a moment he rested next to the belltower, not sure if he had enough for the night or if he should continue on. Maybe he could take a quick snooze here? It was a nice night, and the moon had a pretty cool effect on the stained-glass window beside him.

"Enjoy the view, Robin. Thank the maker that you'll have the fortune of dying at a church."

Robin spun around and shot his stare up to the top of the belltower. There, with the moon at it's back, stood the silhouette of a young man in a combat stance. He stood more than a foot taller than Robin and held a quarter staff. Robin's heart skipped. If he was looking at who he thought . . .

The new arrival jumped from his post, coming down only several feet from his opponent. Robin pulled out and extended his mechanical Bo, his fears now confirmed. The boy wonder gritted his teeth. In both a combination of recognition and defiance he offered up the name belonging to the boy. "Sparrow."

Sparrow's demented cackle filled the sky. Robin knew without a doubt that this would be the fight of his life.

_Robin: The boy wonder has come a long way from his days of peeking out from behind Batman's cape. Now the leader of the Teen Titans, Robin must use his head when he fights. He possesses no supernatural powers of his own, so toe-to-toe battles are not an option. He uses his outstanding gymnastics, martial arts skills, and a wide variety of high-tech weapons to level considerably stronger opponents . Fighting Robin means never knowing what he's going to do next._

_Robin's tiny body seems built around his agility, all tone and no bulk. He stands far shorter than most boys his age, and his hair is styled in black fiery waves. Almost every part of Robin's green and red suit has a function of some kind. The greatest of these is his yellow utility belt which carries most of his weapons. A black mask hides his eyes, a yellow and black cape drapes his shoulders and frames his almost unhealthily thin build._

_When in battle, Robin is expected to keep his head when everything seems to be spinning out of control. He usually does, but he has a very competitive nature and hates to lose. He has a large, but easily damaged ego, and this can result in him holding petty grudges. Still, Robin is the most strategically intelligent of the team, and the one each other Titan feels closest to._


	3. Punishment

The Sparrow's Burden 

3

Sparrow was dressed in a manner that Robin didn't find unexpected, considering what he intended to do. On his head was a black bandanna wrapped around his entire forehead, hair and the tops of his ears. From the knot came long tails that extended down to the shoulder blades, which were covered by an amber-coloured leather jacket. He wore a white undershirt for a top, which was pretty tight and gave a good indication of what he looked like with no shirt at all. The black jeans just mildly obstructed the combat boots that finished the uniform.

"What is it you want?" Robin shot, unable to stand the silence.

"Robin," he said mockingly. "I know it's been a while, but I thought you knew me better than to have to ask." Sparrow twirled his staff like a fan across his hip.

Robin took a step back. So, Sparrow had come to fight. At least he chose to do it sportingly, he did not ambush him anymore than was necessary to confront Robin alone. Like Robin, he had no combat related powers. But also like Robin, Sparrow was a terribly effective fighter without them. He did have a supernatural ability, but it took a lot of concentration and physical contact to use: Sparrow could read minds. By touch and forceful eye contact, he could see and feel all the thoughts, memories and emotions of his subject. In a matter of seconds, he could know everything there is to know about anyone he wished.

"So Robin," Sparrow said. "Going to call for backup? Are you going to have your four teammates tilt another fair fight?" He reached behind his head and tightened his knot. "Or will one of us be able to finally get some closure? If you beat me, you can do whatever you want. Kill me or put me away, but your negligent vigilante ways have met you here on this roof. What now? Run?"

A low snarl escaped Robin's chest. Sparrow was nuts, but he had a sick and twisted sense of honour. "This ends tonight, Sparrow." He stepped ahead, holding the his bow like a spear in front of him. "Let's do it."

Grinning at the the dare, Sparrow came at him like a shot. Robin met his charge with a jump backwards, landing near the edge of the roof's arch. Sparrow readjusted his staff and aggressively advanced, knowing Robin was cornered. He brought his weapon down in an attack, but hit only shingles. Robin had leapfrogged over him, and attempted to strike from behind. The end of bo was met by the middle of Sparrow's staff and pushed aside. Sparrow counterattacked. Robin narrowly parried the blow.

Sparrow was fast, faster than Robin expected. He attacked overhand, bringing his staff at an angle across Robin's face. Robin jumped aside and brought his own weapon atop of it, pinning Sparrow's to the ground. Robin swung his lower body around from his shoulders and used both feet to meet his rival's head. It failed, he felt only air as Sparrow shoulder-rolled away from the blow. Still holding onto his staff, Sparrow raised it from underneath Robin's weight, sending the boy tumbling backwards.

The fight wasn't burning hot, yet. Out of a sense of sport, Sparrow allowed Robin to get to his feet. "I'll let you have that one," said Robin. "Because I know you think I deserve it."

Sparrow was moving to re-engage but Robin was ready in an instant. "I said one." He side-stepped and performed a legsweep. Unfortunately, there were no legs to sweep. Sparrow evaded by doing a no-hands cartwheel and safely bypassed Robin. The thud off his staff against Robin's back came before Sparrow even landed, and Robin fell onto one knee. The impact only stunned him briefly, and Robin went into a front handspring to escape Sparrow's follow-up.

But Sparrow was upon Robin again, putting him on the defensive with several more swings and kicks. Robin backflipped away and drove into his signature flying roundhouse kick. Sparrow jumped to meet him in the air, and brought the blunt of his staff into the astonished boy-wonder's teeth. Robin came crashing down onto his back with the chalky taste of enamel debris in his mouth. Sparrow landed next to him,  
immediately bringing his foot to crush Robin's ribcage. But Robin rolled away, using the slant of the roof to speed up his momentum as he came to his feet. Sparrow was already airborne, jumping in to strike again. Dazed, Robin reached into his belt and tossed four bladed disks into the path of the fighter. As accuracte as they were, not one met Sparrows body. Sparrow danced as he fell, blocking and avoiding all of the projectiles.

Robin didn't have time to gasp, he didn't have time to think before the sole of Sparrow's boot found his chest in a stifling blow. He got knocked backwards so far, he just stopped short of falling off the ledge. He attempted to regain his footing, but could not focus past the feeling of his lungs being put through a trash compactor. Sparrow hoisted him up by the collar, looking him in the eye as he brought his fist across his face. Robin gave an intense grunt as his neck snapped to the side. Another blow, to the stomach, and he couldn't tell if he had been punched or kicked. The boy attempted to raise his hands to meet the onslaught, but now lost all strength in his limbs. How many blows followed, Robin lost count. He began to drift out of consciousness after every one,  
only to be brought back as another met his body.

The savageness would stop with a thunderous finale. With one hand grabbing his victim's throat, Sparrow tossed Robin overhand into the stained-glass window. The panes shattered but the frame kept him from going all the way through and falling. Robin felt as though he were hanging in the air. At that moment, he had enough time to count the hundreds of shards of glass that now stuck in his back before he hit the ground. Had a portion of the window impaled him? Robin soon discovered not as the roof rushed to meet him, his head falling atop his forearms and refusing to budge. He couldn't breathe,  
he couldn't see, all of his senses were rushing from him.

Robin was on his feet with the strength he had left. He raised his leg to walk, but his balance disappeared. He lowered himself to his knees. Robin was not going anywhere. His head slumped to his chest in defeat.

Sparrow stepped into his sight, staff in hand. With a twist at it's midsection, sharpened prongs appeared on either end. Robin could just barely make out Sparrow draw up the spear for the final strike. Defeated, Robin took what he knew to be his final breath as Sparrow brought down the spear.

It didn't land. A dark cloak encompassed Sparrow and blocked his path to Robin. Robin could not focus on the mysterious newcomer as they darted back and forth, now locked in a tight battle.

He fell onto his front, accepting there was nothing more he could do. Now knowing Sparrow's abilities, Robin acceded to the fact that only one person could possibly match him in combat, the one who now fought in his stead. Just before falling from consciousness, Robin strained to see if Bruce would win the fight.

>

She did not want to be right. For the first time in her life, Raven prayed. She prayed she was wrong about what she knew as she rocketed through the air. The buildings of downtown were little more than a greyish blur as she closed in on Robin's signal. The tones on her tracer were growing more rapid as she frantically searched for her leader.

The beeping frequented until was now a high-pitched whistle. There, in the heart of downtown she spotted a large church, probably built during colonial times. Atop were two figures, one stood tall, holding a large pike above his head, the other was on his knees just like.

"Robin! Hold on!" She yelled. Raven gave everything she had left to her speed,  
and pointed herself towards the armed fighter. She moved so quickly, she did not have time to even conjure up any telekinetic forces before making contact. Rivalling that of a small missile, she crashed into the man, sending him hurling away from his victim and nearly off the building. Raven placed herself between Robin and him, immediately calling her powers to strike again. "Azrah Metrion Zinthos!" From behind him, the concrete cross that erected from the peak of the church broke off and slammed into the man's back. He fell onto his front and spit out a tooth.

"Who are you?" Raven barked. She hoped now that this lunatic saw that Robin had backup, he would think about surrender. But to do that, she had to be sure this wasn't some kind of programmed android. He had to be something special to do that kind of damage to Robin, and Raven was not sure how she could possibly take this guy down by herself.

The young man came to his feet, still holding his spear. "The name's Sparrow,  
pretty lady." He bowed slightly as he said that, and Raven knew this was no machine. "I'll be happy to grant my evening to you just as soon as I wrap up here."

Raven snorted defiantly, knowing this guy was not going to surrender either. "Sparrow, huh? That makes one bird name too many."

Sparrow laughed as he seemed to curiously inspect his lance. "I take it you're Raven?" Raven didn't say anything, just continued to look for a sign of attack. "I figured this runt wouldn't have the guts to take me by himself." For a moment, remorse splashed itself across his face. "You should know I didn't want to hurt anybody else, but don't think I'm not ready to." His compassion was quickly pushed aside as his agenda returned. "I promise this won't hurt for long!"

The spear came flying at Raven's face, as accurately as a laser. Fortunately,  
because Sparrow found it necessary to boast, she was already focused and held it mid-air half a meter from where she stood. Manipulating her control some more, she raised her own body several meters off the roof, and sent the spear flying back at it's owner with even greater force. Sparrow jumped out of it's path, and it impaled itself in an apartment several blocks away. He rushed towards Raven. She was confident he could not hit her this high, but Robin was still passed out on the roof. There was no telling what Sparrow would do to him.

Her phrase was delivered again, and two stone Gargoyles hurled themselves toward the swiftly moving Sparrow. In an incredible display of agility, he lept on top of one, then the other, using them as stepping stones to launch himself up to the hovering sorceress. "Holy!" Raven's stunned remark was cut off as his hands grabbed each side of her face and hauled her crashing to the church. She managed to stay on her feet, but he had not let go. He was peering into her eyes and forcing her to look back at him.

"I always enjoy sharing thoughts with a beautiful girl." Raven began to feel herself deteriorate. She tried to pull away, tried to hit him, but her mind was not hers anymore. She began to tell him things, things that she never told anyone, things she had not even realised herself yet. Inside her, emotions swelled and ebbed violently, trying to deal with the change he mind was going through. Every hope, every fear, every demon in her was being shared with this madman, and the scream could be heard for miles.

Out of the chaos that devoured her, Raven realised it was not her screaming. Sparrow was in tremendous agony, trying desperately to pull his hands away. "Get off! Please get off me! Get your mind out!" But the two were locked, as though caught in an electrical current. Try as she did, Raven could not pull away.

The impact of a sonic blast brought Raven back to herself and sent Sparrow flying from her sight. Raven looked to a nearby building and saw the Cyborg holstering his smoking arm-cannon. Starfire and a hawk-formed Beast Boy flew overhead and landed on the church, followed by Cyborg. "Raven," he appealed to her. "Are you okay?"

Raven was still shaking. Her mouth had gone completely dry. "I don't . . . I feel like"

"Robin!" Starfire's cry for the unconscious boy overflowed with sorrow and worry. Raven watched her land next to him and begin to check his vitals.

She was exhausted, but Raven asked Cyborg; "I didn't tell anybody where I was going." She realised then what she should have done, but they would have slowed her down, and she was not sure what exactly she was racing to stop.

"Star saw you fly off," Cyborg smiled. "I told her not to worry, but you know Starfire."

Raven let out a low giggle. "Yeah, I know Starfire." She turned to see Starfire holding the limp body of Robin in her arms.

"It was a fortunate assumption to follow you." Starfire said, not turning her attention from Robin. "Robin will be all right," she nodded with anxiety. "But it would be wise to take him home. He will need much time to mend."

"Guys," Beast Boy's voice broke through the silence of gathering Robin for travel. "I think you all should see this."

Cyborg helped Raven up, throwing her tiny arm over his gigantic shoulders and helping her to walk, even though he could easily carry her. As they moved towards where Beast Boy hovered, Raven felt something, something she had felt before, but not this apparent: She was grateful. She always knew the other Titans cared for her, but now she felt it too. Raven looked over to Cyborg, and he met her. There was a light smile, one which would be considered slightly beyond that of gratitude. Cyborg politely smiled back and nodded assent.

The two came to the side of Beast Boy, who stood over the twitching body of Sparrow. He was conscious, but curled up into a fetal position with his hands covering his ears. Raven could just make out a few words that stammered out. "No . . . I can't . . .  
get them out . . . please . . . no." Seeing him now, after once seeing him so strong, Raven filled with remorse. She lowered her head to her hands, ashamed at what she had done to the boy.

_Sparrow: Sparrow may be the only rival to Robins' agility and fighting ability. In fact,  
combined with his above average strength, he poses a serious threat to the Titan's superiority. Sparrow has no combat-related powers beyond training and a lust for vengeance, but possesses telepathic abilities that are somewhat difficult to use. His weapon of choice is a long titanium-fiberglas staff which carries a few surprises._

_Standing fairly tall, with a pale complexion resulting from being so reclusive, Sparrow is an odd-looking teenager. He is in excellent shape, and has a nose slightly larger than what would be considered attractive. Sparrow fights with his hair bound under a black headscarf, with a reddish-brown leather jacket, white muscle shirt, and black jeans._

_Sparrow has an all-consuming vendetta against Robin. He feels Robin's crime-fighting tactics contributed to his family losing their lives, and has already taken several lives to avenge them. Although he wants revenge, he has a strong sense of honour, and refuses to ambush Robin if he is unready to fight. Sparrow will not harm parties he believes are innocent, but sees the other Titans as an obstacle, and would not hesitate to eliminate them to get a shot at their leader._

_As you may have guessed, Sparrow is an original character I created for this story. His physical description closely reflects my own. (I'm actually a fairly dedicated athlete and gymnast, and my nose is a little on the big side). His wardrobe, weaponry, and even persona are based on a hitman character I played in a theatre production._


	4. Recovering the Norm

The Sparrow's Burden 

4.

Starfire had taken notice of Robin's quick recovery. However, he was distant from being capable of resuming his duties as a Titan. Robin found that very frustrating as she observed. His arm was still in a medical harness, and yet he persisted in the Titan's obstacle courses and training simulations. He excelled in them as he always did, but the Tamarainian's worry of further injury often got the best of her. In the days gone by she had flown to his unnecessary aid in the peak of their drills, for she could not bare to see him push his physical limits so ruthlessly.

Were humans not as she was? Did they not need calm and relief of their trials to heal? Starfire opened the question to herself upon observing her leader. Beast Boy seemed to need such things upon the arrival of his virus, however "human" was not a word to describe Beast Boy well. She eventually came to the conclusion that indeed,  
people require rest from troubled minds and bodies, though some humans did not function in accordance to desires or even necessities. Such behaviour would not be seen anywhere in the natural world and made these people quite unique.

Something else unnatural and unique had been occurring within the Titan's Tower as well. Starfire was not sure precisely what happened to Raven during her struggle with Sparrow, and was not quite sure what was happening to Raven now. She was different,  
somewhat. Her personality was still that of Starfire's friend, yet there were changes.

In the past, Raven had been out of notice. She did not talk much and spent leisure time away from the others. Now Raven was present more often, wandering the levels of the tower instead of fleeing them. She conversed during times of meals and group outings as well. Talking of matters which were trivial seemed to be of hardship to her previously, and a conversation would find itself stalled when held only with her. Raven now seemed to wonder about Starfire's well being, greeting her by asking "how's it going?", and usually following with a comment about what it was Starfire was doing at the time.

Raven even laughed once. Beast Boy won the battle against his fever, though not before several more "sneezes" forced him to shift. Recently, as he and Cyborg performed dish labors, Beast Boy released a sneeze, transforming him into a giant squid. Unfortunately, in addition to several china items being wildly thrown aside, Cyborg's smooth metallic armour made a perfect surface for the suction cups of Beast Boy's tentacles. As the two clumsily tried to remove each other, Raven could be heard laughing from the couch in the lounge.

Her talk was still of monotone, and while Raven no longer retreated to seclusion when the boys played their electronic games, she did not participate. She still refused or lacked the capacity to laugh at many absurdities, although she would lightly smile at times of joy.

Starfire, driven by sheer curiosity, chose to find the limit of Raven's shift. Upon a recent night, she waited outside Raven's room for her to withdraw and sleep. Seeing her,  
Starfire wished her pleasant dreams as she embraced Raven with a hug. Raven's muscles tightened as they always did when she was hugged, and Starfire concluded she still disliked close contact. But something was different in her reaction, and to Starfire, it was a significant difference. Raven had one hand pinned to her side, the other rested itself upon Starfire's back for the duration of the embrace. Once apart, Raven did not roll her eyes and briskly walk away as she would have. Instead allowed a forgiving smile,followed by "Goodnight, Star."

>

In the shadows of her room, Raven tossed aside her cloak. Usually she wore it until she changed into her night-gown, but it seemed pointless. The hood was heavy, and cape was confining. Raven wanted to be able to stretch and loosen up a bit in her room.

She shook her head in dismissal. "What's wrong with me?" She never before wanted to "loosen up a bit", not even in the privacy of her room. Raven did not know exactly why she was behaving the way she was. She would be lying if she said she was not scared. She felt needy. Although Raven still preferred being alone, she no longer found seclusion necessary to be content. The trivial arguments of Cyborg and Beast boy no longer annoyed her to the extent that she was forced to leave. Neither did the loud stereo or the blazing television. In fact, the arguments mildly amused her, and she understood how the appliances could provide some leisure.

Raven did not dislike this change, but she certainly did not welcome it. She meditated constantly, or what she thought was constant. Meditation tended to go by more quickly, now. Even with Raven scouring every inch of past troublespots in her mind, she found nothing out of place and returned to her body within minutes.

No, there was no trouble, nothing except for the girl in platinum. She was not a problem as much as quite an annoyance. The emotion drifted without cause or direction,  
only reacting when Raven drew near.

Raven tried to make contact and the girl simply opened her robe, as she did before. Inside the cape was a person; not Robin, but Starfire. She was gleefully posing as though she were having her photo taken.

Raven did not appreciate this ambiguous prophecy. They prodded her and irritated her to no end. "What are you?" Raven hissed at the Platinum girl. "What does Starfire have to do with anything?"

This happened many times, and the girl's answer never changed. "You will know," it spoke without any emotion of her own. "There is much about Starfire that you must know, and you will, when she chooses to show you." It was her answer word for word, every time. Raven had considered being more aggressive, but this thing did not look like the fighting type, and she knew better than to go around blasting things that were harmless.

Raven sat at the edge of the bed now, still in her leotard and emerald waistchain,  
her cloak was put away for the night. Sleep would not come readily, because Raven had a lot to think about. What had Sparrow done to her? What had she done to him? Robin told her that Sparrow used his telepathy on others, and the results were never like this. Whatever happened, Raven was sure it was responsible for her current state.

She had no idea what she could do about it. Even if she did, would Raven want to do anything? That hug from Starfire was not the first, but it was the first Raven did not try to break out of. It was the first hug of her life that she returned, though fairly awkwardly. And it was the first hug that felt... nice.

It felt good and so right. Raven felt as though she belonged in Star's arms, similar to the way she felt when Cyborg carried her to Sparrow's body. But that was gratitude. It was not the same, Starfire's hug was...

Raven tossed the thought away. She convinced herself what she felt was safety. Starfire was taller than Raven and her body was warm. Surely Raven had enjoyed the hug because it brought her to a childlike feeling of safety.

Like all nights, Raven was spent. A dislocated shoulder had not stopped Robin from pushing the Titans in their exercises. She decided to sleep in her suit, her nightgown was not all that comfortable anyway.

As she lay her head to rest, she unintentionally took notice of the window. The night was cloudy, not even a small amount of moonlight could penetrate through. To her surprise, Raven found herself checking the window at different angles, seeing if the clouds had parted anywhere to reveal some sky. There were none, none that she could see from this tiny window, anyway.

Now curious and determined, Raven left her bed and slipped on her shoes. To herself, Raven snickered. "Raven, what is going on with you?"

>

The clock now passed to the next day and Titan's Tower seemed asleep itself as Starfire stood on it's roof. The clouds blocked all that Starfire wished to see. There was not even a breeze, so she was fully aware they would linger. The absence of the moon made the twilight particularly dark. There were no reflections dancing on the water. Even the lights of the city flickered out, one by one.

Starfire sighed in quiet accordance. Like all things, darkness had beauty about it as well. It was a beauty, however, that Starfire often found herself in suspicion of, and she would not revel in it. The city now slept, and so would she.

"It's very late, you know." The familiar voice caused Starfire's heart to initiate double the normal beats. She had not time to turn to go towards the entrance before someone approached from behind.

"Raven." Starfire held her hand to her chest as she noticed her teammate. "You walk so softly. I was startled."

When vailed in her cloak, Raven had a tendency to make light noise as she walked. She did not wear the garment at this time, only the blue leotard and the loosely fastened belt. Raven made a routine apology. "Why are you up here this late anyway,  
Starfire?"

Starfire turned her gaze back towards the sky while speaking her answer. "I do not know if my Tamarainian biology is different than that of a human, but I seem to require less sleep than the rest of you. I am normally here until I grow tired myself. You see, it is quite lovely and . . ." She halted herself, discovering a question of her own. "Raven," she turned to her once more. "I am confused as to your purpose here." In delivering the question, it resembled that of an accusation

Raven did not speak for a moment, and shrugged her shoulders when she did. "I.  
I wanted to see the sky."

Starfire did not respond. Not hastily, for she could not deduce what Raven meant. "You are being sarcastic, correct?"

Raven's emotionless glare did not falter as she explained her words. "No," a pause. "I thought there was a full moon tonight. I wanted to see it, but it looks like the overcast won't be clearing."

Starfire nodded superficially. Although Raven spoke with some obvious discomfort, Starfire strongly felt that there were thoughts her friend dared not to utter. Did Raven really want to see the full moon? Starfire was not sure, but she could help her if she was being truthful. "Raven," Starfire spoke softly. "There is something I feel I must show you."

Raven's eyes opened wide, as though she had been predicting Starfire to make that very proposal. "Something I need to see?" She bit her lip in contemplation. "Sure,  
where is it?"

"Not yet." Starfire did her best to contain her excitement, careful not to give anything away. "You must first be equipped with a blindfold."

_Beast Boy: He probably possessing the most phenomenal power among the Titans. Beast Boy has the ability to shapeshift into any animal he wishes, living or extinct._

_Beast boy is covered in a fine green fur. He stands roughly as tall as Robin and has a similar build, too. Beast Boy wears a purple and black jumpsuit that seems to remain undamaged when he changes into animal form._

_Beast Boy loves his powers, often using them to add humour and fun to a dull day. He is the clown of the team, always joking even when things are at their worst. This goes either way with other Titans, and a bombed joke can cause Beast Boy to simply try harder. Although a showman, he won't pull punches when it comes to fighting the bad guys. There's nothing less funny than a Tiger or Dinosaur with you in it's sights. He's very close to the other Titans, but Beast Boy desperately wants to know he's cool, and he doesn't know it yet._


	5. A Friend

The Sparrow's Burden 

5.  
Raven could not see a thing with the dishtowel over her eyes. Starfire lead her by the hand, and all Raven knew is that the two were flying well away from Titan's Tower. Starfire was moving reasonably fast and not making any sudden turns or stops, so Raven knew they probably were not flying through the city.

She had given up guessing. Raven could not get her mind off how cold it was getting. She wished now she had stalled the trip to pick up her cloak.

The only part of her that remained comfortable was the hand that held Starfire's. Hers was warm, but not sweaty. It was like wrapping her hand in a blanket that had been in the microwave. The heat exchanged between the two girls ran all the way up Raven's arm and gave her goosebumps, though she attributed them to the cold.

They had not even been flying for three minutes when Starfire began to slow down. Raven listened intently for any sounds but heard none whatsoever. All she was sure of, is that they were still outside. Now Stafire came to a complete stop, hovering still hand in hand. "Raven, may I let go? Are you alift on your own accord?"

"It's not like you were dragging me here, Starfire." Starfire let go.

With both hands free, Raven immediately reached for the blindfold. "No!" Starfire stopped her. "I must do that." Raven lowered her hands and allowed a tiny groan. This was getting a little ridiculous.

She felt Starfire move behind her and place both hands on her shoulders. She performed the sequence slowly, almost lovingly. Raven became a little uncomfortable when shivers ran down her back, but remained as she did. Starfire's tenderness was a gift as much as her powers were. If Raven had pulled away, she could not be sure how Starfire would react. She may be hurt, and Starfire's touch was not one that should ever be withdrawn.

Starfire was rotating their bodies, keeping her line of sight parallel to Raven's. Whatever she was about to show her, Starfire obviously wanted to look at it too.

The towel began to loosen and fell from Raven's face. The tips of her fingers covered her open mouth as her awstruck words whimpered out. "Oh, Starfire!"

The moon was unlike any she had seen before. It seemed to cover half the sky. The craters and hills could be seen so clearly, they could be reached out and caressed. There was no cloudy aura around it's edge, making the blanket of stars unobstructed and just as magnificent. Miles of rolling hills were the clouds beneath them, and were made blue by the light of the swelling jewel.

Raven thought she may cry as she looked all around. She had never seen such raw elegance, never expected to be treated to such an experience. She felt as though she was seeing the world for everything Starfire believed it was. Starfire was teaching Raven a new feeling by showing something that had once been just for her.

"It is where I come when I wish to be alone," she told Raven. "You are not the only one who needs solitude at times, my friend."

Raven could not take her eyes off the shimmering orb. Although it was completely silent otherwise, she barely heard Starfire. "Then why bring me?"

Starfire floated to her front and turned to face Raven. "There are very few who could see such a sight, Raven," she referred to their powers. "Some things were meant to be shared."

"Starfire . . ." Raven found herself looking unabashedly at the Tamarainian now. "Thanks."

Starfire answered with a wistful smile. "I do not believe Beast Boy takes interest in such things, and I also do not think the other boys could appreciate this while I struggled to keep them levitated."

The mental image of Starfire in an effort to keep Cyborg from falling entered Raven's head. She would have to hold him underneath his shoulders, and he would probably be fighting her every inch of the way. The thought caused Raven to laugh out loud, though she tried to keep it as muffled as possible.

Starfire took notice anyway. She moved closer Raven. "It is not often I hear the laughter of another female," she noted. Starfire was now laughing with her. "Yours is lovely."

The compliment caused Raven to blush profusely. She could not even keep Starfire within eye contact. She certainly did not know what to say, either. Raven was rarely complimented. People only appreciate the things they notice, and Raven was not one of those. The fact that Starfire cherished common qualities as much as this stunning landscape spoke worlds to her. She again felt as she did when Starfire had hugged her,  
also when Starfire held her hand and when she spoke so lovingly to her. Raven felt it now just being with her.

For the first time, Raven saw her powers as gifts. Before tonight, she was a freak and a time bomb. But what "normal" person could see what she now saw? Right now,  
the world was clean. All the trouble, people, monsters and noise were sealed from her. Only one person remained and Raven could not be happier with who it was.

Raven did not jump when Starfire laid her hand on her shoulder. She put her own hand to rest on top of it. "Raven," Starfire was careful not to disturb the silence. "Shall we go back?"

The question caused Raven's heart to sink a little. A correct answer would have been that there was nowhere she would rather be. But it was getting late, and Starfire may be sleepy. "Are you tired?" Raven asked, hopeful to what the answer may be.

"I am not." Starfire beamed and turned back towards the moon. She smiled as though Raven had asked precisely the right question to answer hers, and it was clear she did not want to leave either.

Raven's next words were that of her current thoughts. She needed to hear herself say them out loud, and they needed to be said the presence of Starfire. "I want to be here with you, Starfire." She held her breath, hoping that Starfire did not yet realise what she really meant.

Clearly not. To Raven's relief and mild disappointment, Starfire continued to stare into the sky, not even turning to notice the tear noiselessly pushing it's way past Raven's eyelash.

Raven quickly wept it away. It came as the realisation had hit: Raven now knew who the girl in silver was. It was the emotion that would be hardest to control, and the one that would consume Raven's life.

>

Robin was gone by the next morning. He wanted to be back for afternoon and start the team on combat practice, so he left early.

His arm was still in a sling, the broken wrist and dislocated shoulder far from okay. It made travel more difficult than he would ever admit. It also kept him from responding to Titan alerts. Although they had not received any major ones since Sparrow, Cyborg took no chances against Robin's resolve and confiscated is portable alarm. This frustrated Robin to his wits end but found arguing with Cyborg to be fruitless. Cyborg may have been the only member of the team more bull-headed than the leader, and Robin admitted to himself that he needed to be. Running obstacle courses,  
Robin could get away with being less than a hundred percent, but live combat was something else. He took a quiet pride knowing that if no one held him back, Robin would fight to the bitter end against any odds.

His arm was still in the early healing stages, and Robin knew Cyborg and Starfire would probably strap him to the medical bed when he got back. But there was something that needed to be done, and he wouldn't feel right sending anybody else.

He dropped into the public entrance to the penitentiary, immediately greeted by several curious guards. Robin informed them why he was there and was promptly led inside. He was told that to proceed any further he would have to leave all his weapons and equipment at a security checkpoint.

Robin could not help but notice how friendly the cyber-equipped guards were. He knew they could not have possibly been this lenient with all visitors, but since many of the inmates were there because of him, he was probably given the benefit of the doubt.

Two guards led Robin through the concrete halls into a small office. A man sat at a desk, too immersed in paperwork to immediately notice the three of them. He was black and broad-shouldered , probably close to what Cyborg would look like when he was older, save for some military hardware, of course.

The man looked up and quickly rose to extend his greetings. "Robin," he said coming around the desk. "I'm Warden Jack Bauer. It's truly a pleasure." The two exchanged a firm handshake, which Bauer followed with a joke. " . . . Even though you have made my job considerably busier."

Robin smirked. "I guess I never think about the real victims, do I?"

The warden laughed. "I can't imagine getting here from Titans Tower was easy with that thing on," he motioned to Robin's sling. "What can I do for you?"

With Robin's answer, the mood of the room went fell from light-hearted to sombre, and all it took was one word. "Sparrow."

Jack nodded and leaned back on the front of his desk. "Ah, you have questions,  
right?" Robin nodded. "Well, I don't know what to tell you. Physically, he seems in good health, but he hasn't said a word since we brought him in."

Robin's eyebrows stretched to their fullest. He knew Sparrow to be one of those fighters that would talk you to death if he couldn't hit you. "Nothing? He hasn't said anything at all?"

"Hasn't even asked for a lawyer. He won't touch his food, and that which he does, he can't keep down." Robin's confusion only grew as the warden continued to speak. "Guards haven't seen him sleeping, either. He just kind of sits on the edge of the bed. Believe me Robin, I wish I had some answers for you, but I wish even more you were coming here with some answers for me."

Robin began to pace. He had heard of cellblock anxiety, but Sparrow was never one to give in to petty emotions. He was too arrogant to ever be depressed, it was a sign of weakness. Gathering his thoughts, Robin spoke up. "Whatever's happening to him,  
it's not normal. I think you should"

He was cut off by a booming voice coming from all directions, an intercom he couldn't spot. "Attention all personnel. Security and medical teams dispatch to conference room seven."

As the message began to repeat itself, Warden Bauer wore a face of a man twice his age. "The district attorney was meeting with Sparrow in conference room seven." Robin's heart skipped. "Looks like our boy had other plans." Jack bolted from the room, sidearm in hand. The two guards raced after him followed closely by Robin.

>

"Star, get down!" A great outcry from Beast Boy met Starfire's ears. Her dear friend was dropped to the pavement as he attempted to clear her from danger.

"Beast Boy!" He had been struck by a motorised bicycle thrown with the intent of incapacitating her, however Beast Boy had tossed her aside at great physical pain to himself.

She rushed to him. His hand was rubbing his head and his eyes seemed not to focus. As she helped him to his feet, he spoke. "I'm all right. Just get back in there. I don't think Cy and Raven can handle that thing alone."

That thing of which he referred was what the four Titans presently did battle with. It was a lizard-like humanoid, close to nine feet in height. It alternated walking both erect and as a quadruped. The creature was extremely quick, and seemed to exercise as much effort into scaling vertical surfaces as moving along the ground. This was made possible by the dozen or more tentacles that grew to a length of twenty feet from it's back.

Starfire flew to rejoin the battle against the creature she called "Mandibore", after the mythological Tamarainian spirit of destruction. She looked up to see it lock arms with Cyborg in an attempt to overpower him. Cyborg would not be subdued so easily. He braced against the monster, crying out with adrenaline and intensity. But Mandibore could not be broken in such a melee. His tentacles wrapped themselves around the young warrior's feet and pulled his weight from under him. Cyborg yelped in surprise just before being flung through the brick wall of a nearby apartment.

Her eyes glowing with anger, Starfire shot upwards to meet her opponent. Mandibore used his extra appendages to elevate himself and tactlessly dodge her barrage of Starbolts. She attempted to move closer, within the range of his attack so he would be focused on her and perhaps someone could get him from behind. But the creature was more cleaver than it appeared, throwing a piece of debris which forced Starfire to dodge,  
following by driving three stiff tentacles into her abdomen, sending her flying upwards.

Raven arose from the alley, which she had been knocked into some time before. "Azrah, Met". Mandibore was already upon her. Using his tentacles to propel himself to her position and striking her with both feet, sending her swiftly into a recovering Cyborg.

Raven's cry of pain burned Starfire. As greatly as she wished to regain her fleeting breath, she moved to return to the fray. Beast Boy would beat her to the enemy,  
however. He struck with the body of a Rhinosaurus, sending the evil plummeting backwards onto it's side.

Starfire witnessed Raven still regaining her diction as Cyborg and Beast Boy moved in for the decisive blow. Starfire remained where she was, hovering fifteen meters above the rival who now seemed unconscious. Still, Cyborg and Beast Boy proceeded with extreme caution, Cyborg with his Sonic Cannon drawn, Beast Boy in his normal form but on guard nonetheless. Starfire readied a starbolt. This opponent had fallen too swiftly considering the power he clearly possessed.

The two boys stopped in a defensive perimeter around the creature. Starfire felt it safe and began to move towards Raven and confirm she was uninjured. But as though she had impelled it, Mandibore's extensions sprang forth as porcupine's quills. Starfire's eyes blazed to life. The two nearby Titans were violently tossed several blocks away, no doubt unconscious upon landing.

The monster turned to Raven. Seeing it's entire arsenal of appendages focused as if to impale her caused Starfire to feel ill. For during the battle, Raven did not fight well. She had not used her telekinetic powers to the extent Starfire had seen in the past. Raven conjured bricks and stones rather than large, heavy objects that could pulverise Mandibore.

Starfire knew it was her fault. She had stayed too lengthy with Raven at her spot last night, now she was weary and lacked sleep. Mandibore's attack had come early in the day, which was somewhat fortunate that it happened before Robin could return.

Ashamed of her folly, Starfire hastened to Raven's position on top of the building. Raven was attempting to drive back the monster, appealing to many objects to hurl themselves at him, but none destructive enough than to do more but hinder his advance. Mandibore was between the two girls, and Starfire pointed her dive into the middle of his back. She hit with impressive force, but only sent him stumbling a few steps.

Mandibore turned to face her, clearly annoyed at the resilience of his constantly changing opponents. Starfire brought a starbolt to bear, but could not discharge it. In an instant she was entwined with horrid, faceless snakes. Wrapping themselves so tightly around her arms and legs they completely cut off her circulation. They did not bind her limbs to her torso, rather stretched them out as they lifted her high into the air.

Starfire struggled as she could, but the tentacles moved her as an unwilling marionette. She began to scream just as another demonic vine wrapped around her mouth. Starfire felt the pulling begin. Her arms, legs and even her head were now all being pulled in separate directions, and terror overtook Starfire as she knew Mandibore held the ability to force her apart.

Starfire strained to see the area where Raven had been, but she was not there. She was not on any of the rooftops that Starfire caught glimpses of as she was thrashed about. Hope drained from the girl as she realised that she was now facing the monster alone.

_Cyborg: The powerhouse of the Titans, Cyborg is the brawn and techno brain of the group. His cybernetic body makes him nearly impossible to surpass in strength, and hosts a enormous collection of weapons, sensors, and gizmos. He is also highly skilled in computers, as his hygiene depends on his maintenance programming._

_Most of Cyborg's body is artificial. His original flesh is that of a very fit african-american male. He towers over the other Titans as his size reflects his strength. Cyborg has little "clothing" of which to speak, instead his body is covered in shining tech-armour. A red sensor in his left iris compensates for his lack of an eye._

_In battle, Cyborg runs on adrenaline as much as any other fuel. He has a large amount of pride and becomes as emotional as Starfire at times. Cyborg sometimes acts as a big brother to the others, serving as both a protector and a moral compass. He is often sceptical and even a bit cynical, but this doesn't stop him from putting complete trust in his team-mates. He loves to relax with the gang, but takes his job as a fighter very seriously._


	6. Mandibore

The Sparrow's Burden 

6

Robin now ran behind the fastest guard, not taking the lead himself simply because he didn't know the way to conference room seven. The warden and several guards ran behind him. The group turned a final corner and Robin followed the head guard through an open door.

The medical teams and some security were already there. Robin took a moment to notice the overturned table, the two lawyers huddled behind a shield of three guards,  
and Sparrow. He was sitting straddled in a corner, his head moving slowly from side to side, and his prison uniform stained red. Two paramedics attempted to work on him, but he refused to let go of the object he had plunged into his ribcage. Robin squinted to see what it was, and quickly noticed.

"Sparrow stabbed himself with a pen," he confirmed out loud. Clearly Sparrow was here to sign some kind of confession, which would explain the lawyers. On instinct,  
Robin moved towards him, but was quickly stopped by nearby security.

His sense of urgency grew. Robin had to get to Sparrow. He had to find out what he had done to Raven, what Raven had done to him. It was why he came all the way here and why he didn't sleep at all the previous night. Was Raven in danger? She was certainly different, and when Sparrow died, any answers he carried would be gone too.

Robin began to try to force his way past. The two guards in his path held him by the arms. Robin didn't want to get his hands dirty, but he would do what he had to. Just in time, though, Warden Bauer ordered the guards at ease, and they quickly complied. Robin stepped between the two much taller men, and knelt beside the struggling paramedics. Sparrow was fading, his breathing slow and shallow.

Upon seeing Robin, Sparrow let up on his grip of the pen, and the medics sprang to work. He grunted as they tended to the wound. "Robin..." The dying boy whispered. "For what it's worth..."

"I know." Robin yielded to his final apology. He felt ashamed at what he about to ask next. "Listen man, about the girl you fought after me... "

"Raven." Sparrow spat the name, as if it had not left his thoughts since that night. "That's no girl. I saw her Robin, I saw her mind." His face went white. "It's why I had to do this. I couldn't take knowing what she knew."

Robin didn't want this guy's final moments to be anything but peaceful, but he wasn't making a lot of sense. "Sparrow, I don't know what it is you're trying to tell me."

Sparrow was barely alive. His eyes were wandering around the room, they tightened as though someone was holding a flashlight to his face. The sweat on his body had dried up, and all remaining colour was drained from his complexion. "I have a lot..." He tried to swallow, but there would have been no moisture left in his throat. "I have a lot to make up for, man. Please, just be careful. You don't know her like you think you do. I don't even think she knows." He began waving a frail palm in front of him as though he were reaching for something not far from his face. Robin, consumed with sympathetic helplessness, retrieved Sparrow's hand with his own. At the touch, Sparrow struggled to unearth a final smile. "My family wasn't your fault. I wasn't your fault. I know that now, I just hope..."

Sparrow's words trailed off, and now his open eyes stared blankly past the walls of the room. For a moment, Robin still held his hand. If any part of Sparrow was still left, he wanted him to know that someone was there with him past the end. The room lay still, the paramedics had stopped working and now readied a body bag.

It was not sorrow that Robin faced, it was not even grief. He was not sure if he acted on any more than a respect for the dead when he gently laid Sparrow's lifeless hand by his side. Robin stood up to allow the medics to move into position and quietly turned to leave. Not looking past his feet, he felt the watch of every person in the room on him.

"Robin," the somewhat confused Warden Bauer said as he passed. "Was he a friend of yours?"

Robin didn't stop walking. His unfeeling stare remained to the floor as he responded. "No," he passed through the doorway and towards the exit. Quietly to himself, Robin conceded; "but he could've been."

>

All Raven could seem to do was back away slowly as the reptile advanced on her. All of it's extra arms wound back, ready to impale.

Her knees felt like they were encased in concrete. Whatever happened that night with Robin and Sparrow, now it was affecting more than just her inhibitions, she had lost most of her telekinetic power. In the course of the battle, Raven attempted to summon large, solid objects to hurl at her foe. Through a very sobering few minutes, she found that the most she could hit this thing with were objects of no more than ten pounds or so. Raven may as well have challenged it to a pillow fight.

Now, suddenly her flight was gone. There was no escape from the top of the building on which Raven now faced an infinitely superior opponent. She had seen what it had done to Beast Boy and Cyborg, and knew the boys were out of the fight. For the first time, Raven was trembling.

Gathering every ounce of composure, Raven met eyes with the demon. She silenced the voices in her head telling her to run, cry, or pray. If this thing was going to end her, then she was going to make sure it ended her way. She forced her hands to stop shaking, her legs braced themselves against the roof.

First came a brick from where Cyborg went through the wall. The monster was ready, the brick was knocked aside before it could complete the path to it's head. Raven focused on several pieces of glass from another collision next and fired. Again, it expectedly failed. Then another object, and another miss. Raven's direction quivered as she saw that the beast actually seemed to be amused at her last stand. He could have closed his advance on her and finished it, but instead he seemed to wait for her next shot. And they came, and they went.

Raven, who laughed at the idea of surrender, thought the fiasco would continue as long as the beast kept her alive. She was proven wrong when a blurred purple streak crashed into the back of the creature, creating a billowing cloud of dust and asphalt as it's massive body was driven into the roof of the apartment.

When the dust settled, she saw that the creature had not even lost it's footing. Raven's hopelessness and small surprise grew to unequalled affliction as she watched Starfire rise into view. Her fists pulsing with power, her eyes zealously green; the poise was of a stirring warrior. Raven could not help but feel in awe of the majesty and courage of the girl.

But, courage and vigor were not enough. The monster forgot about Raven and did not hesitate to give everything he had to the more potent of the girls. With little effort,  
Starfire was immobilised. The forceful tentacles wrapped around her body and lifted her high into the air.

The panic in Starfire's eyes mirrored Raven's. She could not lose Stafire, not now. Every fiber of Raven's soul cried for Starfire to be put down gently and for the lizard to turn his attention back to her again.

Desperation drove out fear and Raven lunged forward, grabbing the creature around it's massive waist and hitting it with every melee attack Robin had taught her. Into her punches and kicks she drove her hopelessness, her fury, and her desire. Even with all this, she did little more than catch the monster's attention. As though swatting a bothersome insect, Raven was sent soaring off the building.

She did not remember what happened next, only that her last waking thoughts occurred as she landed in an open dumpster. Raven had lost all will to move. As she drifted into unconsciousness, she grieved for the one she let down. "Starfire, I'm so sorry..."

>

Raven awoke on the levitated stone that was all too familiar to her. She was standing and her mind was clear. The knowledge of what was happening in the physical world strayed from her thoughts. Raven was not sure why she had come, only that she did not want to remember.

There was something different about where she was. It was the same rock she set foot upon when she meditated, but different. It was different everywhere, albeit remotely,  
something had changed in the atmosphere. What it was, Raven could not put her finger on it, but it was an improvement, no question.

She did not know why she was here. She had not meditated nor had she used her "portal mirror". But what other way was there to get here? Possibly a dream, Raven may well have been asleep in her bed. She dreamt of such things on occasion.

"Hello Raven." The voice from behind caused her spine to jolt upwards. The words were not familiar, but Raven knew the speaker was. She spun her body around into a defensive position and stared Sparrow straight in the eye.

"How did you get here?" She asked only so she would know what entrance to seal before blowing him away.

Sparrow did not retort in kind. He spoke softly, almost with empathy. "I've been here ever since the fight with Robin. I guess when I read you, something of me got left behind." He began to pace, his sight wandered around the void. "It's really not so bad in here, just have to know what to admire."

Raven saw no challenge in his face, no tension in his poise. For whatever reason he stood before her, combat was not one of them. She lowered her guard. "Is this a dream?"

Sparrow chuckled. "You could call it that. I wouldn't." He stopped his roaming and focused on her. His demeanour fell to one of grave circumstances. "Raven, don't panic. Think to what happened before you came here."

Raven's puzzlement only lasted a moment. Then Raven covered her ears as everything rushed back. The battle, the loss of her powers, and Starfire.

"Starfire!" She was dying as they spoke. Raven's skin went cold, her arms immediately broke out in a drenching sweat. "I have to"

"No you don't." Sparrow cut her off. Against every instinct in her body, Raven allowed the words to calm her. Some unknown force was putting her trust in him. This was not the same boy she duelled with atop the church. He had some kind of dominion here, and if wanted to hurt her, he would have done it already. "The state you're in right now is a little different than your meditation state. Time has no meaning here, it doesn't pass. We have matters to deal with."

Raven had sedated her urge to wake up. She knew he spoke the truth. "Matters?" she scoffed. "Like how to save Starfire?"

"Like why you couldn't save Starfire." Sparrow's words struck a nerve. He had answers, all the answers she sought over the last few days. It was because he had something to do with it.

Anger rumbled within Raven. "You did this to me."

"Yep," he quipped. He looked to see her reaction, her face was not one of forgiveness. "Not on purpose. Your powers are drawn from your inner struggles, right? The tension you bear, the misery and anger you suppress are channelled to give you some impressive abilities." He rubbed the side of the jaw where his tooth had been knocked free. "...Very impressive."

Raven nodded, knowing full well the capabilities of her demonic body, but confused how Sparrow knew so much. He continued. "I forced you to share those burdens with me. When you share something so profound with someone, even by force,  
it becomes lighter, easier to carry."

"...But it sapped my power," she finished. Sparrow could not be trusted, but things made sense. Raven's telekinesis had always been drawn from well-balanced passions. By confining them to herself and never allowing one feeling to dominate another, she could control and release them at her bidding. But like all people, Raven's emotions became particularly stout because she could never share them with anyone,  
which contributed to the scope of the power.

She did not need him to explain the rest. When Sparrow experienced all of Raven's inner demons, he took a lot of the load off. Raven had less to hide and less to lose by releasing feelings. Her behaviour the last while suddenly became clear to her. It was as though she was thinking and feeling for the first time.

But as her world opened up to her, the lack of mounting inner chaos would have to be seen sooner or later, and it was just dumb luck that Raven's sorcery abandoned her during the battle with the lizard monster.

Knowing all this, Raven was far from having closure. There were countless questions to be asked. "Why are you doing this, Sparrow? Last time I saw you, we were trying to kill each other." Sparrow turned his back at her question. Her slowly wandered to the edge of the platform, not answering for several seconds.

"You have a decision to make," he announced. "Whenever it's made and you wake up, I'll be gone." There was a pause, "I'm dying, Raven."

Raven froze. She did not know what to say to him. Despite all that he was currently doing for her, she still viewed him as an enemy. But compassion was all she now felt. Sparrow knew his physical self would soon be no more, and he must have been terrified.

He turned to her, briskly approached and laid his hands on her unwavering shoulders. "I told Robin moments ago I have stuff to make up for. So you need to decide what it is you want me to do."

Raven's stare had not faltered from Sparrow's eyes. There was a sense of duty in them, almost of urgency. Whatever followed would be his utmost effort to aid her. "When I go, I can give back all that I've taken from you. Your feelings will once again be your own, and you'll have to bury them again." Raven instinctively rejected the thought, she could not go back to what she had once been, not after the things she had seen and felt. It was too much, he may as well have asked her to give her life. "Or," he continued, noticing the repulsion in Raven's reaction. "I can take them with me."

An impulse filled Raven to answer immediately, but she repressed it. Her telekinesis would inevitably fade into memory without mental turmoil to fuel it. She would no longer be able to be a Teen Titan, which was a thought that did not cause Raven absolute grief. She could have a life. She made no defence that she was tired of fighting all the time.

But she had a responsibility. She had the ability to protect those who needed it. It would not be right to throw that away, regardless of her personal desires.

Raven could not answer right away, not before another question of hers was at ease. This one had burned her since last night, and it had to be cleared before she could decide. "What about Starfire?" The words choked her, they almost seemed to try to force their way back down her throat. She was not ready to know what she was asking.

Sparrow smiled, seeming to anticipate the question. "Oh," he looked past Raven's shoulder. "I think you should talk to her about that."

Following the path of his sight, Raven turned to see the girl in platinum floating onto the rock She landed softly beside her master and began to speak right away. "You are aware of who I am."

Raven could not look at her, for she knew exactly who the emotion was. The answer had confused and scared her, and until now, she had pushed it aside. Although she knew it could be nothing else, she could not deal with the truths she bared. Raven did not know how. "You are . . . my feelings for Starfire."

The emotion spoke pleasantly and without prudence. "You love her, Raven."

Raven felt her chest tighten as tears gathered to her eyes. Even now, she was clawing through a barrier and, finally, was about to break through. She just had to stop fighting. "I've never loved anyone," sobs forced their way through the words. "I don't know what it feels like, but I know I love her."

Raven could not remain standing. A great sense of release filled her body and she fell to her knees. She continued to cry, and for a long time, neither Sparrow or the girl approached. Raven did not know what could be said to quiet her. The tears were not of sorrow nor of joy, they were of trauma. She was reacting to her first knowing of the most powerful emotion capable, and Raven crumbled at it's presence within her.

When Raven was able to contain her weeping, Love knelt before her, reaching to her face and gently wiping away the lingering tears. "I am not sure what will happen to your feelings for Starfire if you decide to regain your burdens," she hushed. "They may fade or they may become something else you will have to repress."

Raven knew repressing something like this would destroy her. Her other emotions were hard, but this would be impossible. But she could not bear it to fade,  
either. For love to be gone would be for her world to disappear. Raven would become a soulless corpse.

"So when I wake up, Starfire will still be in the arms of that monster?"

Sparrow nodded. "Like I said, you'll be back the moment you left. Not a moment will have passed."

The answer forced Raven into a decision. It was one that pained her more than anything she ever known was possible, but Starfire was everything to her. She was ready to sacrifice all things for her love.

Once more before awaking, Raven spoke; "Sparrow, I've made up my mind..."


	7. Priorities

The Sparrow's Burden 

7

The sounds of bells filled her ears as Starfire's ligaments began to tear. Her muscle tissue was beginning to break through the skin as Mandibore forced her limbs past their flexibility limits. She wished to scream, but a tentacle was encompassing her mouth and forcing her head back. Starfire's attempt to struggle against the foul creature only caused it's grip to tighten.

As her vision fell to darkness, a new figure appeared in Starfire's peripheral vision, one which she thought had fallen in battle. A fluctuating blue cloak rose from the alley, orbited by many large objects Starfire could not make out.

Mandibore took heed as well, and turned to face the recovered challenger. With his attention upon another, Starfire's restrains were relinquished just enough so she could move her head. Raven was floating before the creature, protected by swift moving articles that created a defensive parameter. Among these were a large trash disposal, an iron pallet, and two motorised bicycles. There was no indication of Raven's previous fear in her disposition. There was only rage and determination, almost as though her victory was assured.

Rising even higher above the gap, Raven howled; "Put the girl down!"

Mandibore seemed to understand the order, his comprehension verified by his defiance to comply. Starfire felt the arms tighten again, her hands and feet becoming dark shades of purple.

Raven would accept no more of the creature's contempt. With a raising of her hand, the trash disposal crashed into his body with tremendous force. The tentacles involuntarily recoiled, and the newly freed Starfire fell into Raven's telekinetic grasp. Requiring little attention from her liberator, Starfire was gently placed upon the rooftop. Safe but unable to stand upon her own power, she struggled to watch as Raven advanced past her.

Raven floated as an irrevocable pillar, not turning her sight to anything but her chosen target. Mandibore had been crushed between the large projectile and a firm brick wall, but he was not vanquished. Both the stone and the steel had given way to him, and he seemed uninjured as he tossed aside the mangled iron box.

None of the fright and shock that was felt by Starfire could be detected on Raven as she ruthlessly hurled the other missiles at the beast. The strength of the impact obliterated all of them to shards, and not even the mighty lizard could go unscathed from such bombardment.

Smoke covered the rooftop. Burning debris and twisted metal fell from the air as the battle subsided. Through the billowing ash, Starfire could not see any sign of the creature, but she did not see Raven waver from her position or even look away from where it had been. Her manner was one of inevitability. She knew something Starfire did not, and she waited. Starfire was better learned than to question Raven's instincts, so until Raven spoke to her, she would not rise.

Mandibore sprang from the mist, this time every surviving arm wrapping around the Sorceresses body. Her adrenaline fuelling her recovery, Starfire pushed herself towards the renewed melee. Although she seemed helpless at the many hands of her attacker, Raven did not appear to be alarmed, she did not even appear to be struggling. She almost appeared expecting.

"Azrah..." The first of Raven's mystical words filled the sky and boomed like thunder in Starfire's ears. It was followed by violent tremors that shook so hard they halted Starfire's dash and forced her to the ground. Mandibore did not seem to take notice, continuing to attempt to squeeze the combat ability out of Raven.

"Metrion..." The next word caused the sky to darken. Through to the horizon,  
sunlight seemed to disappear into shadow, and Starfire feared she may have suffered an cranial injury that had affected her sight. This was not the case, as she witnessed in awe what occurred upon Raven's finalization.

"Zinthos!" The word cracked the air and echoed through the sky. Raven vanished from the monster's grasp in a shapeless vail of black. The shadow that took her appeared behind the stupefied creature and struck with such lightning force the gravel upon the roof was tossed into the air. Once again, the darkness vanished and revealed itself on the opposite side of the last attack, driving into Mandibore again. It vanished once more and struck once more, and again it happened. Countless more followed. After every attack, the shadow seemed to increase in speed and frequency, and the attacks became little more than a blur. All Starfire could make out for certain was the convolutions of the helpless lizard, now utterly outmatched.

The final blow flew upwards from beneath Mandibore's feet. The shadow enveloped him, and for a moment, the two seemed to exist as one entity. Trapped in the confines of a dark halo, the lizard twisted and jerked with great, but restrained force. As malignant as the seizure was, he did not waver from his stance. He looked to be resisting,  
however not knowing how to fight such an enemy.

The creature's tentacles flailed ferociously in a last act of hopeless panic, and Mandibore's body broke apart. Starfire could not be certain if she actually observed what she thought she observed. The creature's body was tossed in many directions, and the small fragments simply disintegrated. There was nothing left, as though the Teen Titans had almost met their demise at the hands of a horrible dream. All that remained was the destruction Mandibore had left in his wake, and Starfire's recovering muscles would tell a tale of a monster that was once very real.

The bringer of Mandibore's demise now stood where he once did. Hidden in the shadow of her garment, standing as tranquillity followed a storm. Raven only looked to the ground, the battle may have been repeating itself in her mind. She did not appear to be in pain. She appeared to be in a state of reflection. What Raven wished to reflect on after such an ordeal, Starfire did not know.

The young alien tilted her head, attempting to find Raven's eyes. "Raven? Are you unhurt?"

The comatose saviour did not meet her eyes with Starfire's. She continued towards the ground. "Starfire . . ." Starfire smiled with a sigh of relief. Now hearing Raven's unmarred response she moved to embrace, but the words that followed struck Starfire like a blade to the chest and halted her mid-step. "Get away from me."

Her words were cruel. Raven did not say them out of caution, but out of malice. It was perfectly safe for Starfire to approach, only Raven did not want her near. Starfire was at a loss, the shock now giving way to the pain as Raven's silence resolved her doubt. "Raven, I . . ."

Raven held up an open hand to hold Starfire's tongue. The hand was shaking and so was her speech. "Don't Starfire! Don't touch me!" There was urgency in her command, but still without merit. Starfires' body filled with tension and sorrow. For some reason, Raven now despised her.

Starfire was not angry, for she did not have the strength to be angry. Raven's words had broken her. They had taken hope and contentment from the girl, things Starfire could not bare to loose after last night. She had connected so profoundly with Raven then, it was afterward difficult to be apart from her. Now this beautiful, exquisite girl, whom Starfire gave so much of herself to, refused to be near her.

What had she done? How had Starfire wronged Raven that there arose such spite? If Raven did not wish to be near, then Starfire would inquire from where she stood. "I do not understand. Please tell me what has happened to make you so cross with me, and I shall correct it." She did her best to hide the quiver in her voice and fought the urge to approach.

The plead fell upon closed ears, and Raven did not seem satisfied with the distance that lay between them. She turned away, and moved towards the edge. "I'm sorry, Starfire." The apology brought no repose, for there was no penitence in it's delivery. "I'm not on this team to make friends. From now on, we work together and nothing more. We are not friends."

With the last awful words, Raven lifted into the air. No remorse in her tone, no lingering in her flight. Starfire closed her gaped jaw as the tears began to run down her cheeks. She watched in silence as Raven disappeared into the distance.

Starfire lost track of how long she stood in place after Raven left her. Why she remained, she did not know. Many things did not make sense to her now. Perhaps she expected Raven to return, to land beside her and amend them. She did not. Perhaps Starfire did not wish to return to the tower, where she would have to face the girl who broke her heart.

All Starfire knew is that she did not move. Not until a large metallic hand placed itself upon her shoulder. "Starfire?"

Starfire turned as though she was being awoken from a slumber. There stood Cyborg, covered in debris from wherever he landed. He was smiling, and try as she did,  
Starfire could not smile back. "Looks like you and Raven made short work of that iguana."

The mention of Raven's name caused Starfire's diaphragm to tighten. She could not respond with more than a meek nod. "Beast Boy's gone back to the tower," Cyborg continued, not noticing the dried teardrops that held the dust to Starfire's face. "Robin should be back too. Where's Raven?"

Again, the name brought grief to the girl. She did not want to respond, for the fear that she may weep. "Raven..." Starfire laboured with the answer. It would not pass her lips, as it seemed as heavy as lead. "...Has left me."

Cyborg, although very compassionate and intelligent, did not distinguish emotions well. Starfire felt her speech was so bleak, her troubled heart could not be bypassed. Cyborg, however, proved her wrong. "She's at the tower too? Okay, let's me and you get back. I think we all earned a little R and R, huh?"

He turned without pause for the trip home. Cyborg did not see that Starfire was incapable of following. "Cyborg," she called out in a whimper. The hulking boy turned back, hearing her address. "Please wait for me. I do not think I am able to fly."

>

Her vision was obstructed with moisture as Raven ordered the door closed behind her. Now the confines of her room, she forced her back against the door to slow her fall to the ground. Raven pushed a white-knuckled fist against her teeth to muffle herself, and squeezed her eyes closed, pushing out the tears.

Raven sobbed quietly, not knowing how much noise she would make if she cried as loud as she wanted to. Her crying began the moment she ordered Starfire not to touch her. She did not show it then of course, but at her own words, her soul tore apart.

Love had not left her mind when Sparrow did. It remained and stayed as strong as ever, and like all of Raven's emotions, it had to be repressed. There was no telling what would happen if she allowed it to surface.

But Raven could not contain the guilt and sorrow that caused her to cry. She had told the person whom she loved, the person who taught her love, that she hated her. And as much as she wanted to tell Starfire the truth, as much as she wanted to hold her, to run her fingers through her scarlet hair and tell her how sorry she was, Raven grieved that she would never be able to. Starfire needed to be pushed aside, and their relationship harshly severed. It would be easier on both girls if Starfire was convinced Raven was hateful.

It was unavoidable that Raven would have to interact with Starfire, but as long as the time they spent together was minimal, Raven's love would fade into memory. After all, without somebody to receive it, how could someone love?

Raven calmed her tears by repeating to herself; "it will get easier. Just like all the other emotions, control this one, and it will get easier." It would get easier, Raven was sure. Every other feeling she experienced faded with time. This one seemed more powerful, much more powerful, so Raven would have to take extra steps to ensure it withered. Her outburst on the rooftop was a painful, but necessary start.

Looking to the future, Raven felt condolence. Starfire would forget and so would she. Her crying had stopped, her composure returned, and Raven began to meditate.


	8. Forget Her

The Sparrow's Burden 

8

She could not recall a time when she had been more wrong. It had been a week since the destruction of the lizard monster. Robin's arm had healed from his confrontation with Sparrow, but Raven had not. In fact, she was far worse.

Although she successfully avoided Starfire's company, Raven's love for her did not subside. Raven found herself involuntarily gazing at her from a distance. She stayed awake yearning for her. The brief periods she slept, her dreams were only of the girl she secretly held so dear. The unattainable visions of the two of them being together were torture on Raven's troubled mind. Every morning brought more weight and anguish than Raven felt she could deal with. So consequently, she had stopped sleeping altogether.

Even Raven's meditation could not heal her, for she lost the ability to do so. Every time she tried to clear her mind, she saw Starfire. There was no focus anywhere else, and had to awaken before she began to fall apart. Raven had never gone more than a few days without meditation, and she could only begin to guess what a mess her mental state was in.

Starfire, it seemed, was doing fine. She had fallen into the net of the boys, and almost seemed to forget about Raven. Raven was sure seeing Starfire happy would help her own healing, but it only added to her sadness by adding to her dark curiosity. Countless "what if" questions surfaced in Ravens' mind. If things were different, could the two girls be together? Could Starfire ever see Raven as more than just a friend? If Raven could not give her love to Starfire, could she give it to another? Would she want to? They were questions that would never be answered, not fully.

What pained Raven more than watching Starfire from a distance was sharing and rejecting her pleas for amends. These had seemed to subside in recent days, but in the time following the battle, Starfire had attempted to reconcile with Raven many times. Doing things like hugging her, helping her with chores, and writing some terrible sonnets of forgiveness. The hugs were blocked, the help was rejected, and the poems were thrown out. Raven did so with the most tactless attitude she could muster, but secretly,  
she cherished every touch and every sheet of paper Starfire gave to her, as bad as the writing was. Raven stopped emptying out her trash can because it had become her forbidden treasure chest.

Knowing only rejection, Starfire never grew angry with Raven. She did not even appear irritated, her reactions were of optimism that her next attempt would be better. This did not help Ravens' cause in the slightest, and she waited for the day Starfire would finally have enough and give up. Although she seemed to be running out of ideas, Raven knew it would be a long time before Starfire admitted defeat.

The pain within Raven had grown into something else. As she began to accept that she and Starfire would never be able to share more than they had now, Raven felt empty. Numb.

No, it was more than empty. Raven had lost her purpose. Her motivation for fighting or even getting up in the morning had withered away. Now Raven not only stayed in her room, she stayed in her bed, even though no sleep came to her. Raven began to miss combat practice, she missed meals, her skin grew even more pale from the lack of sunlight. There was nothing for her.

She did not even see the other Titans enough to know if they were concerned about her. They knew better than to disturb Raven in her room, and since they saw her from time to time heading to the bathroom or laundry room, they saw that she was physically fine.

It was now late into the evening and the team was at a show. "Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons" had been a movie Cyborg and Beast Boy were hounding the others to see. They had asked Raven to join them, but like all outings in the past week, she politely declined from behind her closed door.

Raven walked about the darkened hallways of Titan's Tower, taking advantage of the brief time where there was no danger of seeing the girl who made her heart jump. Raven wondered what Starfire was thinking right now. Was she having fun? Perhaps she was laughing at something in the movie. Perhaps something had startled her and she now buried her face into a nearby shoulder. Was she thinking of whom she left behind? Maybe...

Raven walked through the doorway into the lounge. She stopped. It was so unbearably quiet. Only a few lights were on, the TV and stereo system quietly hung in lack of duty. Raven hated the quiet. There was nothing to drown her thoughts, and her thoughts drifted. They wandered to where they always did, but this time, they seemed louder.

Starfire, she was laughing. Sitting on the sofa, her eyes drifted to and from the blank TV. She was not just sitting, she was interacting with someone. Talking without care to a girl beside her. The girl closed the tiny gap between them as she too spoke, and Raven saw herself with total clarity. Starfire laughed once more, and lowered the mood when she rested her head on Raven's shoulder. Raven felt every fiber of her hair, smelt the sweet vanilla-raspberry of her shampoo, and even quivered at the gentle breaths rolling off her chest. She turned her head only slightly to see the beautiful girl, her eyes were closed. Ravens' cheeks flushed and her lips twitched with longing. Flexing them ever so softly, she brought them to press against the top of her love's head.

But her kiss met nothing. Raven was still standing in the doorway. The hallucination of Starfire ran its' course and faded, and Raven returned to her unbearable reality. The strain was too much, and she collapsed. Weeping as softly as she did with all the other hallucinations, and never growing accustomed to the pain.

At the sound of a soft step, Raven shot her stiffened gaze behind her down the dim hallway. There, not eight feet from her, stood her leader. "If you wanted to see the movie so badly..." Robin said, seeing the tears.

"Robin?" She confirmed as she frantically wiped away the salty liquid on her face. "I thought you guys were out." Raven turned her face away from him, knowing that her anguish could not be hidden so quickly.

"It sounded like a dumb movie," he shrugged. "You know, they're all still waiting for me to come back with the snacks."

Raven forced herself to laugh. Robin smiled with her and continued. "I've really needed to talk with you for a while. I thought I should probably wait until you're feeling better, but it looks like . . ." Robin stopped short of stating the obvious, that Raven seemed like her body was shutting down. "Remember Sparrow? That guy we fought on the chapel?" Raven nodded. "I'm afraid he died last week."

Raven looked at him as though she were surprised. "I was with him when it happened, he did it to himself." Raven did not need to act surprised learning that, her shock came naturally. She figured Sparrow had been killed. "Look..." Robin was searching for words, and Robin never had trouble with those. "He said some things about you, things I know he knows. Raven, he was trying to warn me about you."

"What..?"

"I'm not about to take his word over yours," he assured. "But Raven, I know your emotions are powerful. If you have something to tell me..."

"I'm fine," Raven snapped. If she answered more gently, Robin might have let it go, but he always seemed very in tune with psychological cover-ups.

"Really?" There was a pause as he observed Raven's composure. "Why are you crying, Raven?" Raven did not answer. "Why don't we ever see you anymore?" Again,  
no answer. Now becoming frustrated at her defiance, Robin unearthed what Raven thought she hid so well. "What's going on with you and Starfire?"

"Stop!" The sound of her name was sharp, and Raven cringed at it.

Robin held himself. He was getting both of them upset. "Missing meals is one thing. Whatever's happening with you, I can't have it endangering the team. So talk about it, or deal with it, Alright?"

Robin's tone was of quiet reprimand, and if there was something Raven didn't like from her friends, it was a lecture. "Yes," she fixed an icy glare at him, followed by the word she knew Robin despised. "...Sir."

The boy scowled and briskly turned to leave. Raven shook her head in regret. Robin did not deserve that, she was taking out her repressed feelings on him, and he was only doing his job. "Robin," she called out. He turned around. Raven took her time with her next word, making sure there was nothing but sincerity in her voice. "I'll handle it. You don't need to worry about me or the others."

Robin nodded, accepting her hidden apology. He continued on his exit path, but was stopped once more by Raven calling his name.

Seeing him stare expectantly at her, Raven was not sure if she should withhold her question. It was innocent enough, at least it would have been if it were about someone else. But since she and Robin were the only ones here, she may not get another chance. "...How's Starfire doing?"

Robin did not seem to think about the answer at all. "She misses you," he said,  
and turned to leave. Raven wondered if she should ask more, like how Robin knew how Starfire felt. Was Starfire talking about it? Hopefully she was, that would help her along.

But who was going to help Raven? She could not simply continue like this. The door closing behind Robin was the last sound before Raven returned to silence, and her doubts festered in her head once more. She thought of why Robin chose to see her alone. Were his fears justified? Maybe Sparrow learned something about her she did not know, or would not admit to. True, she could not meditate anymore, and that could mean anything might happen. Raven had gone on the defensive with Robin simply because she was not sure.

And what about Starfire? Raven's feelings for her were only growing stronger,  
and were beginning to drive her mad. Try as she did, she could not shut herself away completely, and every time the two crossed paths, Raven's love unearthed itself even more. It would not be long before Starfire discovered the truth for herself, she was very smart, and she was not going anywhere.

No, unless something happened, Starfire would always be near. Raven would never get over her unless she did something drastic, something that would ensure she never saw her love again.

>

Starfire continued to remove popcorn kernels from her hair as she flew from the theatre. She now knew how unwise it was to hold a bucket full of light food morsels when one is easily startled. The movie was not a film of relaxation, and not one she particularly enjoyed.

She was now in flight back to the tower, without the accompaniment of Cyborg or Beast Boy. Starfire thought it best, telling the boys the brisk wind would help clean the greasy snacks from her hair and clothing. But within her was a desire to be alone. It was not a wish that surfaced itself often, for she did not like being without those she cared for,  
but it was one she often listened to.

It was not the cinema that had upset her, although it was fairly upsetting. Starfire had gone with hopes of forgetting her recent distance with Raven, and now returned disappointed. Closing her eyes and covering her ears through the entire show gave her time to ponder. Raven was once a friend. No, she was more than that. The correct word escaped Starfire, she was not even sure a proper English word existed. "Best friend" did not seem true.

Friends came and went, even best friends. However, the thought of her life in the absence of Raven was painful. Starfire had so much yet to tell her, things she felt she could not tell Robin, whom she considered her "best friend".

The night above the clouds made her think that someone else saw all the beauty of the world as she did. Most humans, having grown from birth here, took such things for granted, and could never understand how she saw them.

Not Raven. Raven was feeling exactly as she felt that night, as though everything was new to her. Starfire saw it in her eyes and in her concealed tears. Although she hid it well, Starfire had seen Raven beginning to weep just as Starfire had done her first night of seeing the stars.

There were other incidents as well. Raven's touch, it was so eager. Raven was not an affectionate person, and when she answered Starfire's touch with a soft touch of her own, it was precious. It moved Starfire in a way that no physical contact from anyone else could have. A stroke of the hand or a press on the shoulder was more intimate from Raven as the deepest embrace or kiss from any other.

Starfire knew these things were so special because they came from Raven only to her. What was puzzling was why Raven chose to share them with Starfire. Raven never made contact with the other team members, never talked to them the way she talked to Starfire. Then again, Starfire never talked to them the way she talked to Raven The two shared something unspoken, something Starfire treasured.

But surely, Raven's displays were better shared with one of more significance. Such things were not easy to obtain, and Starfire knew that being a good friend would not be enough to obtain them from Raven. They would be seen with a boy she had a romantic interest in perhaps, one she would grow to love. Starfire did not meet this criteria, nor could she.

Could she? Was she so certain what requirements one must possess to win Raven's love?

Starfire's thoughts forced her to halt in the middle of her flight. Her mind had been dancing with her troubles since the theatre, and now she nearly crossed the water to Titan's tower. The trip was one of deep thought, and with this seemingly outlandish idea,  
some things began to make sense.

Why Raven shifted so dramatically, Starfire did not know. She did not know many things about the girl. She knew, however, Raven considered unrestrained emotions a hazard. Starfire was warned in her early days on the team to be cautious of what she said and did around Raven, and had since seen many dire examples of what could happen when she lost control.

But feelings are profound and complicated things. To store them or deny them completely must have been a tremendous hardship. And what feeling was as powerful and all consuming as love?

Starfire wondered; had Raven ever known love? Love changes people, Starfire was fully aware. She knew what signs to observe because of her strong embracing of her own emotions. She never thought of observing Raven, however. Perhaps Starfire could remember of what she had seen in passing.

Raven had never spoken of one whom she loved, nor had she shown signs of being in love.

Not until recently.

The understanding caused Starfire to both blush and gasp. Raven was in love, and it was very likely with Starfire herself. Shock and embellishment filled Starfire, but to her surprise, there came little discomfort. Though the two were of the same gender, such a pairing was not unheard of on Tamaran, and especially not on Earth.

More importantly, the girl who loved her was Raven. The notion was not displeasing, Starfire was certain she loved Raven also. She loved her as she loved the other Titans or her close family. Starfire was slightly remorseful that she did not feel the same way. It was likely not the same strength of emotion as Raven felt for her, and would probably remain so.

The traumatic alteration in Ravens' composure caused Starfire to think that Ravens' feelings were no more. Starfire had still not uncovered how she had wronged Raven, but Ravens' feelings seemed now of loathing. Starfire was kept at a significant distance, which was not something people in love did to one another.

Those in love protected each other. They would sacrifice their happiness and their lives for the other. It was what Raven was prepared to do against Mandibore. Was it what she was doing now? If Raven's emotions were as dangerous as she warned, then unconfined love could be a catastrophe.

That was it. It must have been the answer Starfire sought. Raven denied her love because she thought it may put Starfire at risk of harm. Starfire could not be certain, not without speaking to Raven, but nothing else made sense.

Love could not be contained, not for long. Starfire knew this to be true and Raven clearly did not. She never delt with being in love before, and Raven was dealing with it the only way she knew how. There was no one to help her.

If only Starfire was right, Raven could be assisted with her burden. Starfire would confront her with her suspicions when she reached the tower. The two girls would talk,  
and everything would be set right.

Well, not everything. Starfire did not share Ravens' feelings, and conveying that to Raven would break her heart. But that matter was not Starfire's primary concern at the moment. It would be delt with in time.

Hope in her heart, Starfire continued on to Titans' Tower.

>

Starfire was surprised but glad Raven was waiting for her on the helipad as she landed. Raven was vailed under her hood, and did not move to greet the girl. She simply lingered between Starfire and the door and waited for Starfire to come to her.

"Raven," Starfire smiled, slowly closing the few meters that remained between them. "It is good to see you outside of your room."

Raven did not respond. She did not speak, she did not smile, she did not bat an eye. Raven only continued to monitor Starfires' walk. "Are you well?" Starfire asked.

At last, Raven answered, though it was not an answer Starfire wished to hear. "No," she said, still not moving a muscle. "Starfire, I need to tell you something."

Starfire stopped within arms' reach of Raven. She nodded in understanding, but decided it best not to touch her yet. "I know..."

"I'm leaving the Teen Titans"

Starfire took a step back, feeling as though she had been struck in the abdomen. This was not right. Had she heard correctly? Raven was quitting? No. She could not leave, she could not flee from this.

Raven did not move, her unpleasant surprise had been delivered with no emotion,  
no conviction, and no remorse. A long moment passed before Starfire was able to respond, and it was barely audible. "What?"

"I thought you should know. I'll be gone by tomorrow afternoon, and I don't want any goodbyes." Starfire shook her head in denial. "I think it would be best if I just... left."

"You... cannot!" Starfire lunged at Raven, clasping her hands tightly within hers. "Raven," She pleaded. "You must not go. You are needed here. I" Starfire stopped herself, as she thought about what she was about to reveal. "...The team needs you."

"Starfire," Raven was peering down at their intertwined fingers, but made no effort to free herself. "I'm leaving for the team. It's for the best, you must understand."

She then looked Starfire in the eye and gave a apologetic smile. Starfire craved to see more of the face of the girl who would soon go. With no objection from Raven, she placed her hand on Raven's hood and slowly pulled it away. Raven only continued to smile, but now the moonlight seemed to light up her face. Starfire saw no sign of the girl that had once told her to never come near. Now there was only her compassion, a true belief she was doing the right thing.

Raven was gorgeous. Starfire had never noticed it before, but seeing her smile in the silver light took her breath away. It pained her that Raven was making this choice because of Starfire. There would not be another time to talk of her feelings. "I understand many things. I understand the emotions you carry with you."

As though she had taken offence, Raven pulled her hands away. She shifted from loving to defensive. "You can't possibly know..."

"I do! I know and I wish to help."

"You can't help," Raven shot back. "You're the problem!"

Starfire was not offended by the comment, for she knew what it truly meant. Raven turned away, seeing what it was that Starfire understood. No doubt remained within either of them, Raven was in love with Starfire.

Raven would be swayed again. "I have to go." She began for the door, moving so briskly it was almost a jog.

"Raven..." Starfire called to her, Raven did not slow down. Starfire trembled at the thought that this would be the last she saw of the girl. As though she was fast-forwarding a film, her memories flooded back. Starfire thought of everything that made the girl so special to her. Perhaps it was the night above the clouds or all the time they spent alongside each other. But what stayed in Starfire's mind was Raven's beautiful face, the one she had seen not a moment ago. It was a terrible thought of never looking upon it again.

"Raven!" Again, Raven shut her out. At the moment Starfire could not be sure why she said what she said next. Perhaps she thought it would do well in halting Raven. It may have been how she truly felt. What was important is that at Starfire's trailing words, Raven stopped.

"Raven, I love you." She did not think she spoke very loudly, but she was clearly heard. Less than a meter from the door, Raven turned around with disbelief in her eyes.

The emotions swelled within Starfire. Seeing Raven's face once more, even at this distance, was a blessing. She did not know before, but Starfire now realised the sincerity of her words. The grim idea of a future without Raven was quickly coming together, and it caused her sorrow the likes of which she had never experienced. Starfire did not want this to be reality, but more than that she wanted Raven to return to her. She wanted another chance to touch her.

So she said it again. "I love you."

The time that passed seemed to linger between them. Neither girl moved or spoke. Starfire had just bore her soul to Raven, telling her what she knew the very moment she herself discovered it. There was true love between them, and if Raven would only return, Starfire could show what it meant to her.

But Raven did not. She broke her bewildered watch as she callously tossed on her hood. "No you don't," Raven turned back to the door and marched in. "No matter what you think, don't ever say that again."

The door closed behind her, and Raven did not return. Starfire remained, not knowing what to do to calm the sadness that paralysed her. There was no mistaking what she felt, not this time. Starfire spoke once more, releasing the weight of the words in a soft utterance. "I love you, Raven."


	9. A New Choice

The Sparrow's Burden 

9

Each of the combat robots stood about fifteen feet in height. They were equipped with motion sensors, composite armour plating, shoulder-mounted laser cannons and AP missiles; the works. They were the most dangerous training devices the Hive Institute had ever constructed. But the Hive had never intended to dispatch them in anger, the androids were built soley to train their would-be agents. Whether someone had acted outside of authority to release them or if this was some freak computer glitch was not important. Eight of the Robots now rampaged through downtown, and that was the only concern of the Titans.

For Robin, the real danger was their numbers. Two robots had already been destroyed with considerable difficulty, but the other six were still in tip-top form. They had managed to separate the Titans, and for the first time since the battle began at dawn,  
Robin stood alone in an alley against one of the malfunctioning machines.

Robin readied himself as the bot raised himself up to full height from underneath a pile of loose bricks. His last attack had barely damaged it at all. The red sensor in the middle of the "head" blinked twice to indicate the next attack. Robin threw himself backward, away from the volley of missiles that detonated on his former position. The machine advanced with impressive speed, bringing a giant claw to bear on the boy. It smashed harmlessly into the pavement as Robin lept over it's path. He landed on the forearm, ran up the slope to the shoulder and placed a swift boot to the armoured head. It made little more than a dent, and Robin was again forced to dodge the second claw attempting to swipe him off.

Robin landed in front of the droid, which attempted to crush him with it's foot. He jumped away again, this time grabbing the railing of a fire escape and hoisting himself up. Now standing at eye level with it, he hurled a exploding disk directly into the machine's iris. The blast sent it reeling backwards, the red motion sensor destroyed.

Blind, Robin imagined the AI would initiate a self-destruct or simply fall over. No such luck. Upon regaining it's balance, the disabled weapon began to spin wildly,  
firing off it's entire loadout of missiles and laser cannons in every angle. Debris and smoke filled the alley as the buildings around it were turned to rubble. Robin covered his face and body with his polymerised-steel cape, which could at least deflect the laser blasts. It could not, sadly, keep the support structure he stood on from snapping under the impact of a missile. Ejecting from the falling platform, he directed himself toward a solid piece of wall wreckage and rolled for cover.

The missiles and beams continued to spray in every direction, keeping Robin where he hid. Robin could only peek out far enough to see a green boa constrictor throw itself from the top of the building into the line of fire. The snake twisted and weeved through the random attacks, setting it's fall directly on the robot. It wrapped it's giant body around the machine, entwining it's legs, arms and weapon systems and bringing it's barrage to a grinding halt.

Robin jumped from his cover. He catapulted himself at the immobilised weapon's head and kicked with all his weight. His blow shorted out all the remaining circuits and gave enough force to tip it's centre of gravity. As the machine began to fall over, the snake changed to a green young man and jumped away to stand shoulder to shoulder with Robin. Tremors rippled through the ground as the robot hit the ground,  
now nothing more than a metal mannequin.

Robin let out a relieved wheeze "Thanks."

Beast Boy scratched his head. "Whatever happened to those robot puppies everybody was so nuts about?"

"How are the others doing?"

A shrug came off Beast Boy's shoulders. "I was fighting with Cyborg and Star when they insisted I come find you." Robin nodded, showing his gratitude to that decision. "I haven't seen Raven all day."

"Me neither," Robin suddenly realised. Where was Raven? She hadn't responded to the Titan alert. Robin hadn't seen her since he confronted her last night. Maybe he was too hard on her, or maybe she had more problems to deal with than any of them knew. "I hope she's all right."

Beast Boy had turned around, fixing a dumbfounded stare towards the entrance of the alley. "I'd be more worried about us right now."

Two more of the surviving Robots now stood a few yards away. Moaning with exhaustion, Robin drew his extending bow as the machines began to advance. Their footsteps shook the ground, and Beast Boy and Robin defensively backed away. Several missiles readied themselves on the two boys as the approach continued.

"We could sure use Raven's help," Robin muttered.

>

There was much she could probably leave, so Raven decided packing was a waste of time. She loaded her backpack with some essentials, food, her favourite book, and her mirror in case she was ever able to meditate again. Her Titan alarm was disabled and placed neatly on the foot of the well-made bed. Her clothes and books were packed away, everything seemed ready to be abandoned.

Well, not everything. Raven's trash can was still full. It still held every poem Starfire had wrote, and every picture of the two Raven owned. She could not bring herself to dispose of them completely, but also did not want to bring them with her. She was leaving to get away from Starfire, after all. Raven did not want to forget completely,  
but she did not want to be reminded of her.

The Titans were gone. They would only be outside the Tower this early if there was trouble. Whatever it was, Raven was sure the four of them could handle it without her. Seeing Starfire again would only complicate things, and what happened between them last night was something Raven did not want to go through again.

"I love you." Starfire's words throbbed in her head like a terrible migraine. They seemed louder now than when they first fell on Raven. Why? Why did Starfire have to say it? Was it true? Had Starfire grown to love Raven as Raven loved her?

Raven shook her head. No, it was not possible. Not after the way she had treated Starfire. It was not true. Raven desired that it could not be true.

What tortured Raven was that she would never know for sure. She would be gone before the Titans returned, and staying any longer was too much to bear. Last night was the last time she would ever see Starfire. It was time Raven accepted it and left.

Her backpack slung over one shoulder, Raven closed the door to her room behind her for the last time. The rooftop seemed like a million miles away, and she did her best to take the first heavy steps.

The walk was difficult. Her strength waned with every step, but not her resolve. Where Raven would go, she had no idea. If she could not meditate, then she would have to seclude herself from all others. It would not be long before the demons that lay dormant in her mind awoke and took over. Raven did not know what would happen then. She may have to destroy herself, or she may be too insane to even realise what was happening.

The prospects brought no sadness to Raven. In fact, they brought a small amount of comfort. Comfort in that she would not stay this way forever; a forgotten hero mourning the loss of a love that could never be. It was only a matter of time before she left it all behind.

Something was off as she walked. It was more than her anxiety and pain. Raven felt a presence. The halls of the tower lay completely still, the sound was nothing more than her own heartbeat, but she was certain she was not alone. Raven dismissed it,  
attributing it to her lack of sleep. Possibly her mind had already begun to falter, in which case there was no time to lose.

As she hastened her stride, she heard something. A sound that followed the only one she made. Footsteps. Behind her, something was moving along her path. They were close, whoever they were. Raven did not turn around, not wanting to alert her stalker and continued on.

The pauses between the foreign steps grew shorter. What followed Raven was moving faster, trying to catch her. Still Raven did not turn to meet it. She readied herself as she continued on, waiting for it to come close. She guessed by the sounds that it was not much bigger than her, and if she could catch it by surprise, she could overwhelm and defeat it.

Raven focused herself on a fire extinguisher that hung a few feet down the hall. As the steps came dangerously close to her, she spun around suddenly, sending the extinguisher hurling down the hallway. It hit nothing, it mearly passed through the one who pursued her. Raven tried to surpress her surprise with fervour as she looked at a far too familiar face.

"Hello again, Raven," said the girl in platinum.

Raven lowered her defensive stance. She was hallucinating, dreaming, or doing something that kept her from reality. It was impossible for her emotions to enter the physical world. After all, they were just thoughts.

Her confusion escalated as the walls of Titan's Tower silently disintegrated before her roused and very awake eyes. She felt no alarm, as she knew she was entering a state of meditation. It was, as it happened in the battle with the lizard, effortless and involuntary.

The walls, floor and the very light around her faded into nothing. Raven could only watch the expression on the girl's face with silent curiosity. The emotion was happy, even giddy. She looked right back at Raven, eyes shimmering, a bright smile hidden behind anxious hands.

Raven felt no desire to speak to her, although she did wonder what there was to be so cheerful about. She was simply relieved that she was entering meditation. Raven would at last get a chance to cleanse and ease her mind. Whatever this emotion had to tell her, it would wait until Raven had conducted a full and extensive patrol.

But what revealed itself to Raven next, upon entering the landscape of her mind,  
floored her. She thought she may never walk again. Where there had once been blank space with clusters of blood-red energy, there was tranquil blue skies dotted with white clouds. The platform the two girls stood on was covered with luscious grass and white flowers. It was the same with every other floating piece of earth that littered the sky. All had been transformed from barren wasteland to fertile gardens. Some even sprouted trees.

Aghast, Raven lowered herself to her hands and knees, smelling and running her hands though the green carpet. It was not a hallucination. The grass was more real than any she had ever walked across. Even looking to the sky, she saw there was no sun. The light, rather seemed to come from every direction and no direction at all. There was no unpleasant heat, and not one solid object cast a shadow. Nothing of Raven's new world hid from her in any way.

Raven saw the feet of the girl in platinum stop beside her lowered head. When a hand lay softly on her shoulder, Raven began to cry. Raising herself only to her knees,  
she could not even bring herself to look at the architect of the paradise. "No more chaos," Raven whimpered. "No more... darkness?"

"No more," the girl answered.

Raven squeezed the hand of Love so tightly, her fingers turned white. Struggling in vain against the tears, she squeezed out a final "thank you."

"No. This is none of my doing. It is merely more of what brought me here. There is only one who would rightfully receive your gratitude."

Raven peered into the girl's tender focus. "Starfire and I..." She hesitated to speak her hope, fearing the devastation if it were shot down. "...we may be together?"

The girl's tone dropped from angelic to dire. "That has yet to be decided."

Puzzled, Raven moved to ask further. She only began to open her mouth before The Silver Girl threw open her cape, revealing the prophetic image inside. Seeing it, as she did with the first time she found the emotion, Raven's stomach overturned. An icy hand grappled her heart as she comprised the picture. "No..."

It was Starfire, not joyous as she had once been in past visions. She was on her back, her eyes lay closed. Her head was in a twisted, unnatural position, her skin like sandpaper. Raven almost did not recognise her. Starfire's lifeless body was like a candle with the light out.

"No!" Raven emptied her diaphragm with a scream. Shooting herself through the tiles and roof of Titans Tower, she broke free of her mind.


	10. No Other Way

The Sparrow's Burden 

10

There was only a single left. The four Titans swarmed around the surviving war machine, attempting to deliver the final blow. It did not show any signs of falling with any more ease than the others.

Beast Boy, in the form of a nimble falcon, danced around the machine's sights,  
providing himself as an untouchable target while Cyborg and Robin fought from the ground. Robin's entire arsenal of bladed disks lodged themselves in the hull of the automated humanoid. Now the boy jumped to and fro between the machine's attacks,  
delivering whatever blows he could with his bow. Cyborg's large body was an easy target on the other hand. He kept his distance, bombarding the mechanical adversary with strong sonic blasts.

Starfire... tried to fight. However, from this fray and the others this morning she had abstained. A Starbolt was thrown now and again, but even in a battle as tenuous as this one, she did not wish to fight. No adrenaline pushed her to help her struggling friends. Her thoughts and heart were elsewhere.

Raven; what was to become of her? The shock had run it's course after an unhealthily sleepless night. When they returned to the tower, Raven would be gone. Starfire could not bring herself to think of a future without her, but her denial was now a reality. Her feelings for Raven had not changed through the life of the night, therefore Starfire knew them to be genuine.

If only Starfire had informed Raven of her feelings sooner, would she not have felt the need to leave? If Starfire had been more in touch with her own feelings of love,  
the two girls could have worked through their differences. Beyond her forecast of her future, Starfire was deeply troubled by her regrets of what could have been.

Even now, watching the three boys fight an optimistic and winning battle, the group seemed less than whole. It did not seem right that they would attempt to do this without Raven, even though such things must be done. A team was only as good as the members that made it. Without Raven, there could be no Teen Titans.

Starfire watched. The automated machine braced itself against Cyborg's blasts,  
growing somewhat accustomed and holding it's ground. Robin stood between it and Starfire, facing it's front and waiting for his next chance to attack. The robot had given up on firing at Beast Boy, finding the bird much too difficult to hit with a projectile.

In something similar to a trance, Starfire watched with curiosity as the robot found another target. It had fixed it's sight on a much less mobile objective. The cannon on it's shoulder readied itself as Robin turned, yelling something to her. Starfire did not hear what it was. She only saw the weapon power itself fully and steady on it's victim.

"Starfire! Watch out!"

The words broke through her ears like an alarm just before a powerful pulse of energy exploded from the metal tube. Robin's panicked warning pushed her away just in time. She felt the heat of the blast pass by her waist as she threw herself to the side. The bursts of energy continued, following Starfire as she blindly raced from being engulfed in a hail of fire.

Robin sprang to action. Shoulder-rolling into alignment of the machine's active weapon, he brought his titanium bow up like a javelin. Hesitating only for an interval between bursts, his weapon left his hands and rocketed down the barrel of the gun.

The machine's entire left side exploded as a energy round detonated inside the chamber. Steel shards and flames threw themselves in every direction, forcing each Titan for cover. Black smoke billowed upwards as the robot, now unrecognisable as any sort of humanoid, toppled onto it's back with a large thud.

Starfire had wedged herself behind a piece of a broken guard-rail. For a moment,  
it seemed no one was ready to declare victory, but as the dust began to settle, the four Titans found themselves looking down at the last defeated machine.

"That's it," Beast Boy said. "I am so boycotting Future Shop."

No one laughed. Starfire only watched Robin, who watched Cyborg. Cyborg seemed hypnotised by the burning debris. It was then that Starfire knew all was not well. Cyborg and Robin knew it, even if Beast Boy did not. What was wrong, none of them were exactly sure.

Robin finally felt it necessary to ask about what it was that held them. "Cyborg?"

The large boy unknowingly shook his head. "I was getting weird readings from this one the whole time we were fighting it. This one's different, real different."

"Different how?" Robin pushed.

"I dunno. I don't like it, though." Starfire watched Cyborg as he used a small fire extinguisher mounted on his wrist to quelch the minor flames. "Hold on a sec..." With the fires out, Cyborg began to move his hands around the robot's mangled chest. It was clear he did not exactly know what he was looking to find, but he seemed to learn the composition of his subject rather quickly.

The three of them observed quietly and patiently until Cyborg found a small latch on the lower stomach. With it loose, a plate about the size of Starfire's head was pulled away from the main body. Cyborg only looked inside for a moment before terrifying comprehension forced him to drop the steel. "Oh no..."

Robin seemed to share his worry, although not nearly to the same extent. "What's wrong?"

"Whoever sent these things wanted to make sure they did their job one way or another." Cyborg talked without stopping his furious work for a moment. Seconds later,  
he carefully removed an orange plastic rectangle. It was about the size of car battery and looked about as heavy. There were wires, lights, and countless metallic sensors littered over it's casing. The box emitted a low, but very audible beeping tone. "Guys," said a solemn Cyborg. "It's a bomb."

The three teenagers lost their breath. Only Robin regained enough to speak. "What?"

"It's a bomb and it's armed. It's counting down!"

"How much time?" Said Robin.

"I don't" Cyborg stammered as he carefully lay the weapon down at the group's feet. "Not much, less than three and a half minutes."

"How big do you think it's gonna be?" Beast Boy asked.

Cyborg wrestled with the answer. He knew, but that knowledge is what kept him from revealing without pause. Starfire saw the distress in his eyes, and knew she would soon know it too. "The readings I got," Cyborg forced himself. "They were from radiation." Starfire felt her stomach jump to her mouth. She knew enough of the dark history of Earth to know what he spoke of. The four of them stood in possession of the most fearsome weapon known to man. "I'm guessing it's probably anywhere from ninety to a hundred and ten megatons."

"Oh man..." Robin panted, seemingly the only Titan able to make any sound at all. "Can you disarm it?"

Starfire could not recall a time when Cyborg looked more helpless. The Titan had never yielded to any opponent, and never submitted to any challenge. Now he was unbound, unhurt, and unrestricted in every way, yet he looked like a trapped child. "If I could, I'd be doing it right now."

"Oh man!" Robin repeated, now harshly pulling on his hair. "We'll never get it out of the city in time!"

"The coast!" Sprang Beast Boy, suddenly alive with optimism. "What if we tossed it into the ocean?"

Cyborg snapped at the suggestion. "Oh, okay. And how were you planning to deal with the tidal wave that comes with a disruption that size? This entire state would have to be real good swimmers."

Starfire watched as hysteria began to bounce between the Titans. She did not speak because she could not slow her thoughts enough to form a full sentence. Beast Boy pleaded with the others to discover what he was missing. "Well, we've gotta do something!"

Starfire shut out the futile debate between the boys. The tones became louder as the intervals between them slowly decreased. Soon, they were all she heard as the bomb seemed to hypnotise her. Many possible disposal scenarios ran through her mind, none of them feasible. Starfire knew full well what damage this device was capable of inflicting, and knew none of it could be allowed to occur.

She also knew the only way it could be done. Starfire did not wish to do what she was about to. It scared her more than she had ever known, and every emotion told her there must be something else to be done.

"I will dispose of the bomb," Starfire whispered. It was enough to obtain the attention of the three quarrelling boys. She clarified, this time louder and with response. "I will take the bomb into orbit."

"What!" Robin yelped. "Starfire, you can't be serious!"

"I am quite serious. It will detonate safely if it is high enough, and I may be able to get it past the Earth's gravitational pull. If I do so, I could return and leave it to destroy itself." Starfire looked among the faces of her friends, fully aware of her likelihood of returning. It would be very hard to do what she said. If the bomb did not detonate as she acceded, then she would probably run out of oxygen before she released it. Additionally,  
there was the inevitability of the bomb detonating as she returned, which would be just as fatal.

Starfire moved to pick up the box, only to be passively barricaded. "Robin,  
please..."

"Starfire, think about what you're doing! There's another way," Robin tried to convince himself as hard as he tried to convince her. "There has to be another way!"

Robin appeared stern, but he made no resistance as Starfire gently pushed him aside. "We know there is none." She picked up the bomb. It was fairly heavy considering it's small size, but not so much it required two hands.

Starfire did not lift off right away. The three other Titans looked as though they wanted to say something, only there was nothing to be said. Beast Boy's fist was pushed over his mouth, his eyebrows upturned in grief. Cyborg still stood tall, though his shoulders were slumped under their own weight. Robin, their mighty leader, was forced to turn aside, a motion Starfire understood and forgave. For what seemed like an eternity,  
none of them would admit to good-bye.

Finally, Starfire said with a smile "Good-bye, my friends." The nuclear weapon hanging from her hand, she rocketed in to the clouds.

At the speed at which she travelled, the wind was deafening. Somehow, Starfire still kept track of the ever-shrinking beeps that emitted from the box. Each one was like a needle in her ear.

Starfire wished Raven could have been there, but found comfort in that she was hopefully far away. Raven would have not allowed Starfire to take the device, she would sooner have taken it herself. Perhaps Raven had already left the city, and if something went wrong, she would not be harmed. Starfire smiled as she continued her furious trajectory into the sky. She could now see from one end of the city to the other, the clouds became a foggy mist.

She wished she could be with Raven now, wherever she was. True, Starfire would rather be anywhere than where she was presently, but if only she could have seen Raven one last time, the bomb would be lighter to carry. It was sagging now, as the air became thinner and the sky grew colder. It pulled down on her shoulders and quickly set Starfire with fatigue.

She did not slow down, though. Gasping deep for the ever-fleeting amount of oxygen, Starfire only pushed herself harder. The tones in her hand growing quicker, the curve of the Earth revealing itself to tell her she was near her destination. She had lost her sense of speed when she passed the last of the clouds. There was no stationary object to use as reference, the atmosphere was too light to brush her face, and her consciousness was waving. The sounds of the bomb now seemed to echo, something Starfire knew to be impossible. They also seemed to be slowing down, which she also knew to be impossible. The only clear thought in her mind was of her final task, how she must not fail.

The sky was blue, but stars had now begun to peak past it's blanket. Starfire would not see the moon, but in her present state, she looked around for it anyway. One last time. It suddenly became so important for her to see it one last time, but it was not to be found. Nothing she saw was clear, for her eyes were unfocused. Her flight was no longer straight but winding. Starfire felt as though her lungs were on fire and about to explode. Every breath seemed as though she were inhaling sand. She began to falter, the bomb nearly slipped from her fingers. Every conscious thought slipped from her, and Starfire blacked out.

A moment passed, or an eternity. Starfire could not be sure. She was still in the air, still miles away from any land when her hand was met with another. It grabbed and pulled hers upward, further towards where she needed to go. Starfire had no strength to levitate herself, but she was being effortlessly tugged. All she worried of was the bomb,  
which she did not take her eyes off of upon regaining consciousness. It still hung from her free hand, the tones now impossibly close. Starfire at last saw the hand that held hers,  
it was female. The shining silver sleeve lead up to the one whom she loved. "Raven!"

A frenzied alarm sounded from the box she carried. Starfire's eyes shot wide as she was viciously forced back full being. The Raven hallucination had vanished, but Starfire was inexplicably at the edge of Earth's orbit. She swung the whining bomb around and hurled it with all the strength left within her. It quickly faded from her sight and passed for miles through a non-existent atmosphere.

At that moment, a flash sparked from the distance. It was as bright as the sun first peaking it's way over a hillside. Small at first, then quickly rising until it seemed the size of the planet below her. Starfire could only look on in exhausted defeat as the catastrophic shockwave met her body. Bones and muscles seemed to shatter, but it was negligible compared to the burn that engulfed her flesh. The pain was beyond anything she had ever experienced, and Starfire would have screamed if there were a breath left in her. Like a stone, she was thrown back to the Earth, falling without the use of her arms, legs, or flight.

The burn burrowed deeper as she fell, past her skin and to her stomach. Starfire found the only labour she kept was that of trying to stay awake. But there was nothing left to do, she could not move her limbs and had forgotten how to fly. Blinking past the wind, the fire, and the rushing darkness, Starfire surrendered.

"Raven, I am happy I knew you."


	11. Remember Her

The Sparrow's Burden 

11

Raven knew exactly where she was going. She did not know what was leading her or even what she expected to find when she arrived. She carried no tracking or navigational device, only a mysterious knowledge of exactly where she needed to be.

Her flight was arched upward, and Raven was moving faster than she ever imagined was in her ability, her cloak had shred apart from the resistance of the air. The wind had turned her face a bright red and pounded through her eardrums. She was high enough that her tears had frozen while gathered in her eyelashes, and it was difficult to keep her them open.

What pulled her along her mad path made all the physical discomforts trivial. Raven was being driven by an odd combination of hysteria, hope, and sorrow. She would find Starfire at her destination, possibly dead or dying. But if she was not, if Raven could get to her in time, there would be no stopping her telling Starfire everything. How she felt about her, how scared she had been, and how much she wanted the two of them to be together. Raven had never been able to express her feelings to anybody, and the prospect tickled her. But what if she was too late? What if whatever was going to happen to Starfire had happened already? If Starfire died thinking Raven hated her, Raven would never recover.

Every muscle was clenched as she skyrocketed. No matter how fast she moved, it did not seem fast enough. The air was growing thinner, and Raven only pushed herself harder. Robin's endurance exercises were proving useful after all.

The flash of light came without warning. In the distance, it almost seemed as though a second sun was being created. It was far enough that Raven could not hear the detonation, but close enough that she felt a mild tremor as the dying pulse met her body. The sky lit up in an orange hue where the giant flare lingered.

Raven's panic increased to the point where she felt sick. She knew exactly how the blast made it's way that high, why it was harmless to all those at ground level. "Oh,  
please no." She slowed only for a moment to break off the ice around her eyes so she could look for what she desperately did not want to see.

She moved her flight under the blast's radius, frantically searching the skies along the way. The orange cloud refused to dissipate and the intense light burned Raven's eyes even despite her distance. She hovered high above the clouds, waiting for a sign. No sounds were heard, no signs of life anywhere. But if Starfire was anywhere it would be here.

If it had not been for the light above casting a exaggerated shadow onto the clouds, Raven would not have known where to look. A quarter mile away, Starfire's limp body was in a plummet to Earth. It fell as fast as gravity would carry it, no resistance coming from the unconscious Tamarainian. Raven's teeth ground together as she dove for the girl. Starfire's fall slowed and found it's way into Raven's arms.

Holding her in a threshold carry, Raven's anguished eyes made their way up and down Starfire's body as the girls lowered past the clouds. She was exactly as Raven foresaw, in a threshold between unconsciousness and death. Starfire's breathing was shallow and extremely laboured, as though something were obstructing it. Second degree burns marred her once elegant skin, which was now peeling in countless areas. Her body was almost too hot to carry. Raven's hands were beginning to blister.

Starfire had been exposed to accelerated radiation poisoning. Raven could have cared less that coming into contact with Starfire meant she had been exposed as well. Her life meant nothing right now. Raven's physical pain and sorrow were tossed aside without effort. Her world and life lay dying in her arms. Raven did not cry. She did not have the will or the strength to do more than linger on the body of the one she loved. Could Raven have thought to the future or the past, she may well have wept. She could not ponder beyond the girl.

Raven was slow to notice when they touched earth. She lowered herself to her knees, placing Starfire's immobile hip to the red sand. Raven did not dare take her eyes off her, and Starfire's upper body remained cradled in her arms. Starfire's lungs exasperated as though there were a thick liquid slowly filling them. Every rise of her chest compounded Raven's anguish, but Raven had fallen numb. The emotions within her had died, it seemed. Only knowledge remained, the knowledge that she could not leave the side of Starfire. Raven would hold her for as long as she remained in her arms.

As though pulled out from above, a gasp forced it's way out of the mangled girl. She arched her back as every muscle clenched with strain. Shock and tears flooded her face, and Raven found herself looking upon a fully awake Starfire. Her relief quickly deminished at the first sound of her afflicted cough, so powerful and constant, Starfire could not take in a breath. Her body began convulsing as the choking grew worse, and all Raven could think to do was hold her as close as possible. She wrapped her arms fully around the girl, and brought her into a frantic but controlled embrace, careful not to obstruct her breathing.

When the storm of coughs subsided, Raven lowered Starfire's face back into her field of vision. Her loving eyes lit up when she saw Raven's face, but the Tamarainian girl could not stop shaking. Not with the intensity of the spasms, but twitched uncontrollably in her limbs and head. Raven would have thought she was in fact shivering, if not for her continued labour for oxygen which testified her physical pain. Seeing Raven holding her, Starfire smiled through the quivering, but that only seemed to increase her suffering. She recoiled suddenly, snapped her eyes shut and clenched her fingers over Raven's hand.

Although her sobs died in her throat, tears flowed uncontrollably from Raven's eyes, and she brought up their interlocked hands to wipe them away. Starfire lacked any strength in her arm. It was thoroughly limp in Raven's grasp, but still sent shivers of delight when brushed against Raven's cheek.

Raven was not crying for joy of the reunion, rather of knowing the unparalleled pain Starfire was experiencing. The alien girl's skin would have felt as though it was burning to the bone. She had the sensation of being on fire, but her muscles were too sick with radiation to convey her agony. All of her bodily fluids were now toxic poisons filling her lungs and stomach through the new breaches in their linings. Raven sickened herself knowing Starfire may soon drown in her own body.

Raven could not compose herself enough to speak a word. It was Starfire, though immeasurable effort, who broke the silence. "I am so grateful I am able to look upon you again."

Sobbing obstructed Raven's reply, making it nearly inaudible. "Starfire, I am so sorry." Starfire quaintly smiled, this time without any visible pain. The gesture reinforced Raven. She pushed back her sorrow and all remaining fear and her next words came without any hesitation. "You have to know how much I love you... how much I am in love with you."

"You are?" Starfire's face shifted from a smile to a euphoric beam. For a moment, she seemed so full of life that she would be able to effortlessly lift herself off the ground. But her body stayed as it was, paralysed and unmoving. "Raven, you have made my final moments my very best!"

"Don't say that!" Raven barked, but Starfire did not respond to the reprimand at all, only continued to shine through her trauma. Raven stuttered, pleading with the force that was beyond the control of either of them. "Please, Starfire, just..."

Starfire looked up at Raven with sympathy. As though it were attached to a lead weight, her trembling hand brought itself up to gently caress Raven's face. Raven could not help but lean into it and savoured every fleeting moment. "Raven my love, I..." Starfire's tone shifted drastically, as though reality had taken it's hold for the first time. "...I cannot see you."

Panic found both of them as Raven saw Starfire's eyes frantically searching for what was right before her. Her vision was gone, and now with the loss of her beloved's sight, Stafire fell into alarm. She grasped for Raven's face with desperation rather than tenderness. Raven welcomed it, not knowing what could be done, but the rush of blood took it's toll. Starfire's hand lost it's grip, her eyes fell back from their search, and her twitching suddenly subsided.

"Starfire!" Raven clamoured over Starfire's body. It was quickly losing all signs of life, but Raven's reflexive intervention brought the weakest of her back. Another violent gasp was the only sound of life. Starfire could not raise her head. It lay rested on Raven's forearm, but she fully opened her eyes. It was clear they still were not functioning. Starfire was crossing the threshold out from her place in Raven's arms. She began fading again, but Raven would not let the inevitable befall. "Please Starfire," she cried. "Keep talking. Please just say something!"

Starfire would not give up, not with Raven here. Her response breathed barely more audible than a whimper. "I am... scared."

It was not what she wanted to hear from Starfire, for Raven did not share the emotion. What Raven felt was her loss creeping up on her. She was not afraid, rather shattered, for she knew what would come shortly. She envied those with fear. Fear rooted itself in uncertainty. Starfire's fate was most certain.

Starfire did not speak anything else. Raven did not push her to, she only ran her fingers through the matted hair of the girl. It had once been softer than fresh snow, now it was like dead grass. The next moments brought the same silence the girls once found so uncomfortable to share. Now between the two of them, no words could have brought more solace. They watched each other unabided by speech, and neither was ever more at ease. Starfire and Raven knew each girl was exactly where she should be. They belonged together.

Tranquillity fractured when a new silence overtook the old. Starfire once again slipped away, this time more suddenly. The tension that carried the twitching released. Her eyelids fell shut, her lips gently split open to release the last of her air before her chest ceased to rise. "Starfire!" Raven's tearful conniptions did not revive her as they once did. Starfire's head slumped backward without will. "...No!"

And as Starfire left this world, terror returned to Raven. Terror because this could not possibly be their fate. As impossible as it was, Raven knew there was another option other than death. Outside cause, outside logic, and outside reason, Raven became more sure of this than anything she had ever been before.

No, Raven understood that death was a certainty, but it did not have to be so for Starfire. They did not have to share a fate if one would bare it all. Raven laid Starfire's body on the ground. She was still breathing, but it was superficial and declined more so every second. Raven had no time to contemplate her plan.

Her palms spread across Starfire's chest, Raven focused her telekinesis past what her eyes could see. She put herself into the flow of Starfire's blood and the function of her vitals. From there, she drew away Starfire's pain. She drew the poison that ran through her blood and diverted it to the only place it could go. Raven's skin exfoliated intensely as the radiation met her veins. She did not know if she could undo the damage that had been done, but her last act would be her attempt.

Something was wrong. The process was not proceeding quickly enough. Starfire was fading, and as focused as Raven was, her powers were not doing their full job. Raven looked down on the palms of her hands. They were covered in deep blisters and first degree burns. The feeling in her hands was destroyed, the nerves seared away while Starfire was in her arms. Raven had not noticed the pain, and now their lack of sensitivity prevented her telekinesis from transferring through.

The flow of her powers was quickest when done through areas of great sensitivity,  
like the palms, or chest, or fingers, or...

Or the lips. Starfire's were open slightly, her involuntary attempt to allow more air through. Chapped and broken, they were a far cry from the glistening fruits that made Raven's knees weak. But they were not any less appealing now.

It may not have been Raven's only option, but it was her first. She lowered her head over Starfire's, grazing her hands through the red hair. Her mouth seemed to magnetically draw itself to Starfire's, and as their lips pressed together, Raven's hardships vanished. She melted into the kiss, drawing into Starfire and dropping her eyelids in sensuality.

Starfire's tender lips gave way to the contact, sinking to the teeth and breaking in several more places. Raven's eyes opened again at the feeling of splitting skin, and looking into the closed eyes of the girl, she suddenly felt ashamed. This was not a kiss. It was not love. This was her forcing herself on a dying girl to save her life.

Raven's stern focus returned to her, and she once again called to her powers to save her friend. She sent the forces her mind running through Starfire's body, herding together the toxins that were tearing her body apart. Raven drew them away. She pulled them through Starfire's lips and into her own body, and the pain was more than any she could have guessed. It hit her body like a flaming sword slowly cutting it's way through her skin. Raven's heart jumped with shock and her muscles tensed with agony. She was not ready for this, Raven had to pull away.

But she did not. She pushed against Starfire harder, drawing more of the poison into herself. Now Raven's stomach was beginning to react, the acidic taste of vomit contaminated her breath. Compounding the fire within her bones and her screaming insides, she was beginning to slip from consciousness.

Raven fought against it as best she could. But Starfire's touch shifted from her,  
and it took Raven a moment to realise she was falling to her side. Black spots invaded her sight. She was becoming numb to her intense pain, but was quickly renewed when she saw that Starfire was still not moving.

The toxic skin on Raven's shoulder tore away as it hit the rocky ground. Choking in the dust, Raven reached for Starfire's hand. "Thank you, my love,"she whimpered just before thehand fell lifeless to the ground.


	12. After it All

The Sparrow's Burden 

12

"I don't get it. I mean, I'm glad, but I don't get this at all."

"Don't get what? Everything looks pretty normal to me."

"Well... That's just it, Robin. She's fine. There's not a trace of that stuff in her system, and that's not normal."

"What else did the doctors say? What can we do for her?"

"Not much to be done. We can let her rest, that's it."

"Okay. But we need someone to tell her when she comes to. It's not gonna be easy for her to hearwait a sec... Did you see that?"

"Starfire?"

Starfire forced her way past the dark and the weariness. She did not know where she was, and she did not understand why she was still alive. The inescapability of peace was the last thought she had, and still it lingered. She may be deceased presently. After all, her pain was gone, although the recollection of such pain was a injury in itself. Starfire was particularly comfortable, now comprehending her placement in a bed. She was not sure if she was now blind, or if her eyelids simply refused to function. Starfire could not see the two voices that stood on either side of her, though she did not need to,  
to know the owners.

As though they were figures in a dream, Cyborg and Robin clouded into her sight. The faces of the boys were a combination of curiosity and relief. The infirmary lights above them were bright and very blinding. Robin must have seen that they bothered Starfire, because on a rhythmic hand clap, they dimmed to a tolerable level.

Beaming as only he could, Cyborg stretched his chin and abdomen high. "Welcome home, Star. How's my girl?"

The answer was not one that Starfire understood, though she presented it regardless. "I am... well."

Robin grinned, as though he were waiting for Starfire to effectively speak before he would give ease. "Not completely, you're not," he warned. "Take it easy for a couple days, alright? Your body's been through a big load."

"Raven." The name seemed to surface from Starfire upon it's own will. It provoked a tide of emotions within her, none of them pleasant. It did the same for Cyborg and Robin. The two boys did not respond, only recoiled their joy and shied away their gaze. "What has happened? I must know!"

They would answer, for if they did not, Starfire would leave her bed and discover for herself. "Starfire," Robin started, then held to find his words. "Raven was in the early stages of radiation poisoning when we found you two. She's in pretty rough shape."

In an instant, Starfire had tossed her bedsheets to the floor and poised herself to move. "Where is she?"

"Star, I don't think"

Cyborg was cut off by Starfire's insistence that Raven's location was not a request. "Where is Raven?"

"Second floor," Robin sighed. "She's under quarantine, so you can't..."

Starfire was, by that time, through the hallway and halfway down the stairs before Robin finished his sentence. In a time period that a professional athlete would envy, she was inside the observation room. Beast Boy was already present. His forehead was slumped against the glass leading to the recovery room. Starfire took heed of him only briefly before peering through the window herself.

Starfire could hardly see her friend through the marred body that lay in the bed. Raven had become so hideously damaged and swathed in bandages, Starfire could not even tell if she was conscious. Tears falling to her cheeks, she asked Beast Boy; "Why are there not doctors working to heal her?"

He did not shift from his position of grief. Beast Boy only answered with a mutter. "Because they said there's nothing they can do for her." Starfire's silent weeping graduated a level. "We can only make her comfortable."

She could not bridal her sorrow. There was no furniture to direct her collapse, so Starfire braced her back against the wall and sank to her knees. To make Raven comfortable was an admission of defeat. What Raven had born to herself was pain Starfire familiarised herself with. It was a pain that caused her to embrace her own demise. "May I enter?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

Still, Beast Boy did not move. "Cyborg is the only one who's allowed to go in without a radiation suit. We don't think she can infect anyone, but the door is still sealed. Only Cy and Robin know the code." Starfire nodded without objection. She could not touch or speak to Raven, so she would wait until she could.

Starfire did not stay with Beast Boy for long. There was not a word spoken between them before she fainted. Her exhaustion met her during consuming moments of grief, and she did not recall anything prior to awaking in her hospital bed. This time Cyborg was the only one in the room, keeping a close eye on both the girl and the door.

Cyborg smiled noticing her uneventful recovery, which she politely returned. He did not, however, appreciate her removing herself from the bed a second time. "Look Star," He said extending his full self to block the doorway. "I don't wanna have to strap you to the bed, but I will."

"Please Cyborg," she said. "I cannot remain here."

Cyborg's stern pose faltered. "You can't see Raven. You get too worked up when you think about her."

"I am always thinking of her!" Starfire snapped. A moment passed and the two lost their resolve. Starfire, knowing Cyborg was doing nothing but minding her wellness,  
eased her voice. "I will not go to see Raven. I must be alone."

"Where are you going?"

Starfire had not thought of the answer. "I do not know." Cyborg only stared at her. "It would not be far, and I will shortly return. Just for a moment, it would be nice to forget all that has happened today."

Cyborg laid a gentle hand on her trembling shoulder as he stepped aside. A grateful Starfire stretched upward to put a kiss on his cheek before leaving. "Wait Star," Cyborg called from behind her. "I think I might know what'll cheer you up."

>

Until now, Starfire had not known how much of the day had passed . She sat alone on the beach, watching across the bay for the fireworks to start. Her knees were huddled to her chest and supported her dipping head. It was a lovely suggestion, but Cyborg could not possibly know how much cheering up she was in need of.

The night was clear. The moonlight against the glassy water provided her with a focus point for her empty gaze. Any other night, Starfire would have leaned back and attempted the wonderfully impossible task of counting the stars. However, she could not recall a time when her mind had been this troubled.

There was so much of Raven's condition Starfire did not understand. All she knew for certain is that she previously suffered in the same manner, and presently she was unharmed. What had Raven done? The boys did not know any more than Starfire, surely they would have informed her.

And what of the things only Starfire knew? She had lost consciousness in Raven's arms while the two of them exchanged most devoted words. Whether they were genuine from Raven was something Starfire could not be certain of, but it was of great importance to her that she find out.

Starfire took note of the age of the night by way of the moon. The fireworks would not start for several hours, a fact Starfire was fully aware of when she left for the beach. She did not wish to leave and she did not wish to stay. There was no place now that would provide her peace or even any relief. Raven's side would have been the only correct location for Starfire, and that was an impossibility. She would wait here for the fireworks. They would provide no solace, no comfort, but what else was she to do?

Her position would not have faltered for the night. Starfire was prepared to remain for the display and into the morning had it not been for a light clamour from behind that focused her attention. Starfire could not see what it was, not needing the confirmation of sight to put her into a defensive stance with a starbolt ready under each palm. "Who is there? Show yourself!"

>

"Okay," Robin said as he pulled off the radiation suit. "She's not radiating anything, so we don't need these anymore."

Cyborg and Beast Boy continued to gawk at Raven who lay between them. Beast Boy took his suit off without a word or distracted glance. Cyborg acted like he couldn't carry his weight, leaning against a wall for support and using his hand to push back his head.

Being around Raven now seemed to take it's effect on all of the team. The hopelessness of the situation filled whoever looked at her and made sure that no one could even pretend to be happy around her. Even Robin found it difficult to look at Cyborg and Beast Boy, let alone issue his orders. "I still don't think Starfire should be in here, not yet."

Still, the two did not respond verbally, only looked at Robin, puzzled. "She's been through too much. Her body might have healed, but," he shook his head. "You guys know how she gets."

They both nodded quietly. Robin didn't want to say how he heard Starfire calling out Raven's name in her sleep. Her voice shook the walls, an it was enough to make Robin think she had woken up. Whatever was on Starfire's mind, it was probably best she wasn't around Raven until she got over it.

Robin looked down once more on his dying friend. He didn't need to tell the others that she was getting worse. People in Raven's condition didn't recover. "Beast Boy, you're on watch." Beast Boy nodded as Robin and Cyborg began to leave the room. They'd done all they could.

"Uh, guys?" Robin had barely gotten through the doorway before Beast Boy turned him around. He and Cyborg stopped cold as Raven's supposedly immobile body began to glow with a white light. It wasn't intense, not at first, but it quickly grew. It emitted from every section of bare skin on Raven's body, and became strong enough that Robin had to cover his face.

From the corner of his eye, he watched Raven's body lift into the air as the light continued to grow. Cyborg and Beast Boy both had to turn away, but Robin's mask shielded some of the light, ensuring he saw more than they did. Raven's body was now close to six feet off the bed.

Robin did not know whether he should evacuate the room, but before he had to decide, the light subsided. Much more quickly than it grew, it faded and disappeared. Raven's body, still limp and unconscious, lowered back into her bed in almost the exact position it had been before. "Cyborg," Robin was the first to regain his head. "Give me a reading on her."

Cyborg had little trouble shaking off the confusion as he punched combinations into the sensor on his forearm. He stopped, dumbfounded as he saw the results, and punched into his sensor again. "She's... fine." He did not believe what he was saying any more than Robin did.

"Fine? Fine how?"

"Fine like fine. She's good, healthy, not dying." Robin shot his gaze down to Raven, who now didn't have a scratch on her. The bandages had fallen off, and her skin,  
while still pale, was back to Raven's color. "Raven has just made..." Cyborg's words trailed off as the impossibility of what he was about to say sank in. "...A full recovery."

It was then that Raven began to stir. A few murmurs and moans escaped as she blindly adjusted her position in the bed. Robin couldn't believe what he was seeing. Watching Raven float in the air in a blinding halo was one thing, but this was incredible.

Raven opened her eyes as if she was mearly coming out of a deep sleep. They were having trouble adjusting to the light, but were pointed towards the foot of the bed where Robin stood. He smiled, "Welcome home, Raven."


	13. Stafire and Raven

The Sparrow's Burden 

13

Starfire could not see through the blanket of shadow. Whoever this intruder was,  
they hid against the backdrop of Titan's Tower and the dark rocks upon which it stood.

Her emotions already hurt her judgement, and Starfire barely resisted the impulse to discharge her starbolts. Instead she fired a single high over the general area of the shadow. The green flare chased back the dark blanket along the shore and the landscape of the island became visible under a jade hue.

Her flowing cloak was the first thing Starfire noticed. The wind pushed it from it's host and extended a dramatic shadow to the girl. Her hair followed the path of the garment, blowing an overlap over the soft terrain of her face. Although she did not move from her stance, the girl was full of unbridled, silent joy. Her face lit up the beach more than one of Stafire's flares ever could.

Starfire's heart sang as she let sound a delighted squeal. "Raven!" Starfire did not think about how Raven's presence could be possible as she sprinted towards her. She did not see any indication of pain or markings on her face, only a great smile that mirrored her own.

Raven did not move towards Starfire, only opened her arms and waited to receive her. Stafire took full advantage of it as she plunged deep into Raven's grasp, embracing the girl with all the love and emotion she could convey. It was then that any subconscious thought that this may be some hallucination faded. Starfire recognised the touch of the girl who held her during her dying moments, and who she now heard gently weeping into her ear.

The two girls held each other for so long, their tears had made their way to the middle of their backs. Starfire felt no obligation to let go, but did not object when Raven gently pulled away.

"Starfire..." Raven's hand caressed Starfire's face, feeling the tightness of the cheeks that resulted from such a smile. Starfire watched Raven's face as her palm and fingers took knowledge of the curves and tiny eyebrows.

It was then that Starfire's joy dwindled. Raven's eyes stared straight through her. They did not follow the path of the hand, the hand was finding it's way without lead. Raven was not touching Starfire's face as a gesture of love, but as a confirmation of Starfire's appearance. "Raven," Starfire choked. "You are blind."

Raven's joy did not digress under Starfire's woeful tone. Her smile remained as strong as ever. "It's not that bad, it might come back."

"It is of my doing!" Starfire broke from the embrace, and turned to look at the ground. She felt Raven reach after her, however did not let her touch. "You have lost your sight because I gave you that curse."

When Raven found Starfire's shoulder, their embrace was renewed. However,  
Starfire could not bring herself to hold Raven as she held Starfire. "I did what I did because I could not live without you." Raven spoke softly into Starfire's ear, and her words quickly alleviated her guilt. "The two of us survived, and that's a blessing."

Stafire turned back to Raven. The anguish Starfire felt was not shared by Raven in any way. The loss of her sight had been crushed by the cheer of her renewed life. "Then, when you spoke of your love for me..."

"I meant every word, Starfire." What remained of Starfire's self-blame was forgotten. The words of Raven lifted her past any emotion she had a name for. It seemed to flow from her to Raven, because although Starfire thought it impossible, Raven's happiness grew even more. So much, the girls could not help but laugh with excitement. "I love you so much."

This time with giggles in place of tears, the two drew each other into a hug. With Raven in her arms, Starfire became happier than she had ever known. The two stayed interlocked until their arms grew tired and sweaty, and still Starfire wished not to let go. "Um, Starfire?" Raven said. "Maybe you should let us down."

Starfire could have stayed in the hold for as long as the night lasted. She knew that Raven would be the first to break the hug. Starfire opened her eyes and saw that she had carried them high into the air. "Ah!" The beach was two dozen meters below, and the sudden shock of height caused her to loose her grasp of Raven.

Raven kept levitated of her own will, and did not allow Stafire's embrace to wane entirely. She held on to her hand, bringing the surprised Starfire back towards Raven's body. "Are you okay?"

"I was startled." Starfire laughed, feeling Raven's hands wrap around her body once more. "I am guessing the increased breeze informed you where we were?"

Raven nodded. "Well, that and I felt a bird brush past my ear." Starfire stopped a moment, then laughed. Raven laughed with her, but quickly changed to a more thoughtful tone. "Starfire, the two of us being together is something I want more than anything in the world, but I doubt it will be easy. I have many things that I must share with you, and I couldn't tell until today if you were ready for them."

Raven wanted to know if Starfire was ready for the journey, and Starfire's answer came very easily. "I do not know what trials lay before us, Raven. However I have chosen to share your pain as much as you chose to share mine." Starfire smiled as she ran her fingers down Raven's shoulder. "It is not a decision I wish to go back on, and I am ready."

She drew Starfire closer to her as Raven's light-hearted attitude returned. "Then this just might work." Starfire laughed as Raven's palm found her face once more. This time it did not only caress, it pulled Starfire towards her. Starfire did not need to be lead,  
and Raven's exquisite, dormant eyes fell closed as the two met in a kiss. It was restrained and superficial at first, then Starfire drew Raven in. She felt her body dance with delight as Raven's arms covered Starfire's back. Starfire's hand found itself to the base of Raven's neck and revelled in the feeling of her hair against the skin.

Starfire's eyes remained closed, for she feared if she opened them, she would awake from the wonderful dream. Though even without open eyes, she felt the oddest sensation that Raven was glowing a bright, silver light.

>

Across the river, a man named Glen waited with three teamsters to start the fireworks. "Hey," grunted Tony. "You see that? What is it?"

Glen squinted to see a falling star that seemed to hover in mid-air. "Oh man!" he said as he stumbled to his feet. "It's a signal flare! They've moved the show up." Glen ran to the launch area, calling back; "Hurry guys! Fire them off! Fire them all off now!"

>

The kiss continued. It did not grow tired, it did not grow old. Starfire thought it as fresh and marvellous as when she first received it. It did not even dwindle when the faraway night exploded with dazzling colors. The pounding sounds seemed to come all at once, and neither girl distracted themselves for a moment. What they were doing seemed too precious and too important.

Finally, under much willpower, Raven pulled herself away. Her eyes were still closed, and Starfire had to resist kissing her again. She knew that Raven wanted her to see the fireworks, and while those seemed less important than ever, Starfire turned her head to the side and watched.

They were as beautiful as ever, this time even more so. They had come very early,  
as though they had been made specifically for Raven and Starfire. Their love was being illustrated high above the city for the whole world to see, and Starfire, with Raven in her arms smiled under their glow.

She felt Raven's head rest itself on her shoulder, and looked to see that the girls eyes were still closed. "Oh Raven," Starfire sighed. "It is so beautiful. I wish you could see it."

Raven smiled, as though she were dreaming. "I can feel the vibrations against your chest, Starfire. This is the most beautiful thing I could ask for."

End of the Main Story


	14. Epilouge

The Sparrow's Burden 

Author's note: This is the epilogue of the story. It's done in the form of a theatre script because it is occuring neither from Raven's or Starfire's point of view. In this, you will see the term "beat" often. A beat is a stage term used when there are no significant lines or actions performed for a period of time.

Closing:  
It's several days after the night with the fireworks. Starfire and Raven are sitting on top of Titan's Tower. It's sunset, and the two are watching it while holding hands. They are in the middle of a conversation.

Starfire: How is your sight, Raven?

Raven: Better. I can see the orange light of the sun, but shapes ad textures are still pretty hazy.

Starfire rests her head on Raven's shoulder. There is an awkward silence between the girls as they continue to watch the sunset. Starfire breaks the silence with a return to a past subject.

Starfire: We must do so soon.

Raven: I know. We really shouldn't have put it off this long.

Starfire: It will only become more difficult the longer we avoid it.

Raven: (Rolls her eyes playfully) I know Starfire, I know. I'm not saying I'm not going to do it, I'm just saying I don't want to.

Starfire: (Smiles) That is very understandable.

Beat

Raven: ...You can't wait to do it, can you?

Starfire: I will not deny my excitement.

The girls laugh as they stand up. Raven takes a deep breath before pointing herself to the door.

Raven: (Clearly nervous) Alright, let's go.

Starfire eagerly hugs her from behind just before Raven bravely marches through the door leading into Titan's Tower. The two get into a lift and head downward. Raven awkwardly tries to ask Starfire a question.

Raven: You'll do the talking, right?

Starfire: Yes, but it is important that you are there with me. This may be surprising for them, and they may not adhere to one of us alone.

Raven: (Takes another deep breath as the lift stops) Okay.

Just before the doors open, Starfire gives Raven a quick peck on the cheek for encouragement. It seems to work, Raven beams as they enter the lounge. Cyborg, Robin, and Beast Boy are sitting around the dinner table playing "Trivial Pursuit".

Cyborg: (Reading a card) "Which 18th century Russian novel is set in napoleonic wars?"

Robin: (Instinctively) "War and Peace".

Starfire laughs as Cyborg and Beast Boy's frustration surfaces with Robin's dominance of the game. Raven hides behind Starfire as the two girls approach the table.

Starfire: Hello friends. What activity are you engaged in?

Beast Boy: "Trivial Pursuit". Nothing good on TV right now.

Cyborg: And I've finished my workout.

Robin: (grinning) And now I'm winning.

Beast Boy and Cyborg: We know!

Cyborg: (To the girls, pent-up) He says that after every question.

Robin: (laughing) You guys wanna join us? I'll let you(notices Raven cowering behind Starfire) You alright, Raven?

Raven: (Startled) I'm fine. I'm great. I... I just

Beast Boy: Did you mix up your decaf teas again?

Robin: Is it something with your eyes? I thought they were getting better.

Starfire: No Robin, Raven is nervous. (Robin reacts by raising one eyebrow. Raven suddenly becomes even more nervous and can't keep eye contact with the boys). You see, Raven and I have something to tell you.

Beat

Starfire: (Growing more nervous) You may wish to sit down.

The three boys glance around the table at each other.

Starfire: (laughs nervously as she realises her oversight). I am sorry. (Gathers herself) The time has come... (stutters inaudibly) I must tell you that Raven and I

Starfire suddenly becomes too jittery to continue. The boys stare completely baffled as she struggles with her words. Seeing that Starfire is now far more nervous than she is, Raven steps forward.

Raven: Starfire and I are in love.

Beat

Robin: ...you...

Beat

Beast Boy: With... who?

Raven rolls her eyes as a grateful Starfire returns to her side. Her nerves are calm as she grabs hold of Starfire's hand and interlocks their fingers. The confusion cleared, the boys are speechless.

Starfire: We felt we must tell you because we knew we could not hide it for very long. We were getting weary of hiding it for the time we did.

Beat

Raven: It's the first real relationship either of us have had, so I hope you guys are okay with this. We'll try to keep the displays to a minimum for a while.

Robin, Cyborg, Beast Boy: ...uh... huh.

Raven: That's all. (She looks to them for a reaction, their faces are frozen). We'll let you get back to your game. (She turns and leads Starfire towards the door to the hallway)

Starfire: (Giving a small, cheerful wave to the boys). Farewell.

Raven and Starfire exit through the hallway. The boys watch them, but don't move and don't say a word.

Beast Boy: ...They meant each other.

Starfire and Raven are dawdling down the hallway. Starfire keeps looking back towards the lounge.

Starfire: They reacted... oddly, did they not?

Raven: (snickers) Not really. (sees that Starfire does not understand what she means). Give them time to take it in, Star.

Starfire: Very well. (focuses on Raven again) So my love, what do you wish to share with me tonight?

Raven: Well, I wasn't going to do this until later, but you've handled everything else well so far. (pauses as she opens the door to her room) What do you know about mediation?

Starfire: Not much I am afraid. I understand it involves the relaxation of one's mind, and mine is quite difficult to quiet.

Raven: (smiles as she leads Starfire through the door) Lucky you.

Done. I can't believe you read the whole thing.


End file.
